


The Meaning of Family

by StarlightKat



Series: Perpetuum Mobile (Modern AU) [1]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Anxiety, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Love, Child Abuse, Crying, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Life Crisis, Modern AU, Past Child Abuse, Protectiveness, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightKat/pseuds/StarlightKat
Summary: “It’s Langris," said the voice on the phone.Sitting up in bed, anxiety settled in his stomach as Finral hesitantly replied. “Oh… H-Hey Langris, how have you been-““Father passed away.”And Finral's world stopped.
Relationships: Finral Roulacase & Langris Vaude
Series: Perpetuum Mobile (Modern AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063634
Comments: 34
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfic for the Black Clover fandom! Finral and Langris have always been my favorite characters (I liked these two before I even got into the series lol) so I decided to make my own. This is a modern AU so kingdoms and magic doesn’t exist here! Maybe in the future I'll write a fic using the canon setting.
> 
> Also please heed the additional tags because things will get more serious later on. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! :)

Finral swung open the front door and almost collapsed right there on the floor. After a hectic day of stress at work, he deserved a well good rest. It had been busier than normal and while his boss slash housemate Yami had said it was good for business, Finral was the one dealing with all the customers and found it miserable.

He made a beeline towards his room and swiftly changed out of his work clothes into something more comfortable before going to the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth. Shower be damned, he could do it in the morning after he got at least 10 hours of sleep since his off day was tomorrow.

Ignoring the ruckus from the others in the living room, he returned to his room and barely shut the door before falling face down in bed and passed out.

Unfortunately, like most things in Finral’s life, his hopes of a well good rest were soon ruined when he jolted awake to his cellphone ringing. He groggily turned to squint at the digital clock on the nightstand through the dark and saw that it read 3:32am.

Finral scowled.

Patting around the bed and finding his phone, he tapped the screen on and almost burned his retinas from the light. After blinking a few times to adjust his eyesight, he managed to make out who the caller ID was.

‘ _Unknown’_

Oh great, someone he didn’t know was calling him in the middle of the night because that’s exactly what he needed after an exhausting day. The logical thing to do when a suspicious stranger called would be to ignore it and go back to sleep but Yami had once told him life was full of surprises and you should stick around to see what happened since it couldn’t be all that bad.

Finral was pretty sure this person was a scammer but decided to see it through anyway. If he was right then he could just politely decline them and it would be over quick. Sighing, he answered the call and brought the phone to his ear.

“Hello? Who is-“

_“It’s Langris.”_

Finral froze. No, that couldn’t be right. Maybe the lack of sleep was making him delusional because he could’ve sworn he heard his brother’s voice. Langris was calling him? Did his little brother actually contact him after he hadn’t heard from him in over _three_ years since he left home? It was hard to fathom, especially since he remembered when Langris had made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with him anymore after he ran away.

Finral was still in disbelief at hearing his brother for the first time in years. He didn’t know how Langris got his number or what was going on, but the fact that Langris had called him in the middle of the night suddenly left him feeling apprehensive.

Sitting up in bed, anxiety settled in his stomach as Finral hesitantly replied, “Oh… H-Hey Langris, how have you been-“

_“Father passed away.”_

And Finral’s world stopped. All signs of sleep and exhaustion dissipated in an instant the moment he heard those words because this could _not_ be happening right now.

“What? What happened?” he choked out after regaining his bearing, not realizing he was clutching his phone in a shaking grip. His mind and heart were racing at this revelation and Finral desperately hoped either Langris was playing a crude joke on him or this was some sort of nightmare.

Yeah, one of those must be true. Preferably the nightmare one because Langris’s personality was too serious to be making jokes. His brother telling him their father was deceased couldn’t be real. It _couldn’t._

But life came back to him in full force because the next monotone words he heard were, _“He died from a heart attack a few days ago. That’s all I came to say so do what you want with that information. Goodbye.”_

It took a second to register that last word, and when he did Finral panicked. “Wait!” he cried, but the line already disconnected leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Finral sat there in horror, phone slipping from his hand and landing on the bed with a soft thump as he mulled over the devastating news. Misfortune had always plagued his life for as long as he could remember but this, he realized as he felt a wave of emotions claw his heart, had to be the biggest misfortune of all.

He didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

\---

The next morning it took Finral great effort to drag himself out of bed and leave his room, almost tripping over his own feet in the process. Each step drained his energy tenfold he had put his hand on the wall to support himself until he reached the open spaces.

Sitting at the kitchen island counter was Vanessa sipping her coffee and Gauche scrolling through his phone, undoubtedly looking at photos of his little sister. Gauche completely ignored his presence when Finral sat down on a stool with them but Vanessa perked up and smiled.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” she teased.

Finral managed a quiet ‘hey’ and Vanessa immediately picked up on it. She put her mug down and gave him her full attention. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone making it clear he couldn’t avoid the question.

“He probably got rejected by another girl from work,” Gauche deadpanned, eyes still glued to the phone.

God Finral wished that were true. Literally anything else he wished was different than what really happened, but he shook his head. It was okay to tell them, right? Vanessa and everyone else he lived with in the house Yami dubbed as “Black Bulls” had always supported him through thick and thin so he figured it was alright to tell them.

“No, that’s not it…” he trailed off, clenching his fists in his lap, “I found out my father passed away last night.”

Vanessa audibly gasped and Gauche looked up from his phone stunned. Wordlessly, Vanessa abandoned her coffee and rushed around the counter to bring him in a hug which Finral accepted and buried his head in her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Vanessa comforted, rubbing soothing circular motions on his back, “You don’t have to say anything else.”

Finral was grateful she said that because he didn’t think he could speak anymore without his voice cracking. From the corner of his eye he could see Gauche side eyeing him in what looked to be sympathy before getting up and leaving to give them some privacy.

Finral held back tears. It was during times like this he was thankful for having such amazing friends like Gauche and Vanessa in his life. Finding out someone that had been part of your life growing up unexpectedly gone from this world was like a huge slap to the face and it left a hollow ache in his chest.

Ledior Vaude. Finral’s father and the only other family member he shared a blood bond with besides Langris. He was a steadfast man who exuded confidence in the public eye, having a positive reputation in the business industry that people looked up to as a role model and for inspiration.

Finral didn’t have many memories with the man as being the owner of one of the most well-known businesses in the country kept him away from home most of the time. When his father was home though… well those memories weren’t exactly ones he liked to remember.

Unpleasant memories or not Ledior had tried his hardest to raise Finral as a leader like himself to take over the family business one day and Finral really did appreciate his father’s efforts despite becoming a failure and abandoned everything when the stress became too much to handle.

All Finral could think of as Vanessa kept comforting him in her arms was how it was like back home now that Ledior was gone. Was the business doing okay? Was his step mother Liliane okay after losing her husband? But most importantly, the thought that had constantly been on his mind since last night:

Was Langris okay?

\---

That later in the afternoon Vanessa kept Finral company in the living room by watching television. It wasn’t much but her presence there with him was what he needed. He wasn’t paying attention to any of the shows but the noises were distracting enough to keep himself from moping all day. When Yami came home after completing his errands Vanessa told him of the situation and he offered his condolences before joining them on the couch to relax.

The three sat there together in silence watching tv until the peaceful atmosphere abruptly ended when the front door slammed opened.

“We’re back everyone!” Asta yelled from the doorway, making sure everyone in the house heard him when it wasn’t necessary at all. “I brought Yuno and his friends with me!”

“You’re so damn loud,” Yami grunted irritably and turned to glare at them from his spot on the recliner chair, “Either lower your voices or get the hell out. It’s my day off and I don’t wanna hear it.” Despite the threat, Yami nodded in greeting at Yuno, Klaus, and Mimosa standing behind Asta.

“Thank you for allowing us to be here,” Klaus said in respect while adjusting his glasses.

Yami waived them off, “Stop with the formalities you guys come here all the time.” Standing up, he stretched his back and neck before walking away towards his room. “I’m gonna take a nap so do whatever you guys want as long as you don’t burn the place down.”

With him gone Vanessa turned to the group and waived at them. “What do you guys plan to do? Want to join us? I promise I won’t drink too much around you kids,” she grinned, patting the cushion next to her for good measure.

“We’re gonna play card games in the kitchen,” Asta kindly declined, “But we’ll come join you later after I kick Yuno’s ass in a few rounds!” He and Yuno bickered like they usually did as the group shuffled towards the kitchen, leaving Finral and Vanessa by themselves again.

“I’m surprised Noelle isn’t with them today,” Vanessa hummed.

“She’s probably staying after school to study since exams are coming soon. Something Asta should be doing instead of playing games honestly,” Finral remarked and Vanessa laughed.

Every so often Asta would bring over his friends from school. He didn’t go to the same high school with Yuno but they were practically brothers growing up at an orphanage before Asta moved in the Black Bulls home after Yami offered him a part-time job. Yuno had met Klaus and Mimosa in the same school and they stuck together since then while Asta and Noelle met in theirs.

It was strange for someone like Noelle to attend a school that could barely support itself when her family was wealthy enough to send her to a more prestigious school. When asked about it she had said she didn’t want to go down the same path as her older siblings and didn’t elaborate any further. She had wanted to move in with them like Asta did but her oldest brother flat out refused so the best she could do was regularly come hang out with them after classes before she took the train home.

Yami had never commented about it but Finral knew he was relieved. There were already several people living here and they didn’t have enough money to make any more renovations on the house. Thankfully, some had moved out like Grey and Gordon and still came by to visit time to time. Gauche had wanted to leave and live with his sister, who was currently under foster care, but with his criminal record it wasn’t possible.

The Black Bulls house was larger and more spacious than a typical home but some people still had to share rooms. The only ones who had their own rooms were luckily Finral, Yami, Vanessa, and Charmy.

Looking behind the couch, Finral watched the group move stools around and set up playing cards. Mimosa and Yuno entered high school the same year as Asta did, but wasn’t Klaus in his final year? Knowing which school he went to, if he passed the entrance exam, Klaus would most likely attend the same college Finral’s brother studied at in the same area.

Ah, there he went thinking about Langris again.

Finral hurriedly turned away and attempted to focus on the tv again but by that point it was too late. The whole day he tried not thinking about his brother but it was simply impossible. Their father recently passed away so he couldn’t help but wonder how Langris was handling the whole ordeal.

Because Finral was no longer the heir to their father’s company it was left to Langris to take over but his little brother was only 20 years old and still in college. There was no way he could manage a large-scale company and school at the same time so young but with how his father handled business it seemed plausible and that scared Finral.

_I hope he’s doing okay…_

“Finral?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned to see Vanessa giving him a worried look. “I’m fine,” he lied and knew Vanessa didn’t buy it either.

She opened her mouth to say something but Finral wasn’t in the mood to open up his heart again. The clashing sounds between the tv and Asta’s group yelling behind him were suddenly too much to handle, not to mention the various thoughts running through his mind. He hastily stood up and gave Vanessa a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, but I think I should go to my room now,” he excused himself and walked away before Vanessa could respond. Finral felt guilty for leaving her like that but right now he needed to be alone before others noticed his anxiety.

Quickly rounding the corner, Finral bumped into someone. The person let out a squeak and he looked down to see Mimosa who had come out from the bathroom.

Finral felt his face grow hot in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there!” he apologized frantically.

Mimosa shook her head and smiled, “It’s fine I didn’t see you either. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Finral took that as a sign the conversation ended. He smiled apologetically in return and was about to side step around her when she suddenly spoke up, “Wait Finral!” Mimosa hesitated for a bit and he noticed the sorrowful gleam in her eyes. “I’m sorry about your father,” she said.

Finral’s brows rose in surprise. “You knew about that?” he asked.

Mimosa nodded. “Yes, my parents were business partners with him and they told me about it this morning. I’ve never met him but from what I’ve heard about him he seemed like a good person.”

It took all of Finral’s self-restraint not to cringe at his father being called a ‘good’ person. He didn’t consider Ledior a bad person either but Mimosa wasn’t aware of the Vaude lifestyle and he didn’t want to start something that would make her regret the comment so he gave her a reassuring smile.

“Thank you for your kind words it means a lot to me.” It didn’t, but she didn’t need to know that.

For the second time Finral figured the conversation was finished and took a step to the side but Mimosa thought otherwise as she grabbed his arm, halting him.

“Have you heard from Langris yet?” she asked straight to the point, brows furrowed and wearing a serious expression.

The sudden mention of his brother took Finral aback. Did she know Langris? He couldn’t recall seeing the two together in the past and he didn’t think his brother would associate with high schoolers. “Y-Yes, he called me last night to tell me the news about father. I’m not sure how he found my number though,” he answered.

Sighing in relief, Mimosa released his arm. “Forgive me for the bluntness,” she apologized, “I just wanted to make sure. As for how he got your contact information, it’s because he asked me for it.”

Finral’s bewilderment merely grew. “He asked for my number from you?”

“Technically he asked my brother since they share a class together but Kirsch had to come to me for it so yes,” she clarified.

 _So that’s what happened_ , he thought. His phone kept a call history which meant he now had Langris’s number and Finral’s heart fluttered at realizing he finally had some way to get a hold of him. Maybe now he could talk to him more frequently and be the big brother he had failed to be in the past.

“Do you know how he’s doing?” Mimosa continued, “My brother said he saw him in his morning class today. I can’t speak for everyone but if someone in my family recently passed away, I don’t think I could be myself around others in public and least of all at school.”

“He actually hung up after telling me so I didn’t have the chance to have a proper conversation with him,” Finral admitted as his shoulders sagged. It had always been like that with Langris even when he still lived with him, short and clipped responses usually said with disdain.

Mimosa sent him a sympathetic look and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it too much,” she reassured. “If I were you, I’d try to reach out to him and see how he’s doing. Before I came here, Kirsch told me he didn’t seem like his usual self this morning. In his words he said Langris was being ‘unsightly’ around people,” she grimaced.

Finral wasn’t sure what she meant by unsightly but he took Mimosa’s words wholeheartedly. Based on the phone call from last night, he could imagine how much this incident affected Langris and having to still attend school couldn’t be any better for him. In fact, it was probably making it worse.

“Thank you so much! I’ll see if I can talk to him.” Finral sincerely appreciated her help.

“Of course,” Mimosa beamed, “I wish you and your brother the best.” This time the conversation came to an end as she walked around him to join her friends in the kitchen, leaving Finral by himself before walking the other direction.

Once Finral entered his room, he flopped down in bed with his arms crossed behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. _Try talking to him huh…_ he pondered. _Easier said than done._

He turned over on his side and curled up. He felt he should honestly give it a shot and try calling him. If Langris took the time to ask someone for help so he could contact him then Finral should be able to make the same effort. He hadn’t seen or heard from him in three long years until now and Finral wondered what he looked like after all that time passed.

Last time he saw Langris his eyes were sharp with judgement and had a mouth set in a permanent frown and before Finral turned away to walk out the front door for good, he remembered seeing Langris making a face that expressed seething hatred and _betrayal_.

Finral swallowed down the nerves bubbling in his throat. No doubt Langris still held a grudge against him but that didn’t mean they couldn’t just talk to each other, maybe not as brothers as Finral wanted but at least hopefully as normal people.

Taking out his phone, he scrolled through the call history to the unknown number. Was this Langris’s cell phone number? His thumb hovered over it in unease until he finally pressed the call button and held the phone to his ear.

It rang once… twice… and a few times after that until he heard the automatic voicemail. Finral instantly ended the call before it beeped to leave a message and sighed. _Easier said than done,_ he repeated to himself then paused for a moment, contemplating his next options, before pressing the call button again.

He might as well keep trying a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw to clarify the Black Bulls house doesn’t have all the members living together like in the series. It’s just Yami, Finral, Vanessa, Charmy, Gauche, Magna, Luck, and Asta because any more than that is too many people lmao. Other members come by to visit of course (like Noelle, Grey, and Gordon) but the rest (Zora, Secre, Henry, and that one guy from the manga) aren't in this story at all I'm sorry. :( I'll add the other character tags later when they show up in future chapters.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the kudos and comments on my first chapter they made me so happy! Here's chapter two as promised! :)

_In the Vaude house, the study room was where Finral and Langris did school work and practiced their instruments. Old antiques passed down through generations decorated the walls and bookshelves, and the bay window with a ledge they could sit on overlooked the flower garden in the backyard. In the chandelier lit room, sounds of pencil scratching on paper or music filled the silence, yet both brothers preferred it more than their own bedrooms._

_The place was specifically used for study and practice but on rare occasions they would relax together without the prying eyes from their parents and maid. It was practically a safe space for the two brothers to talk and laugh about anything they wanted and overall, just be themselves like the kids they were._

_Not today though._

_Sitting on the sofa, Finral and Langris anxiously waited for their father to arrive. A few minutes prior, the family maid had told them to go wait in the study room because Ledior had wanted to discuss something with them, but Finral knew exactly what this was about._

_They were in trouble. Big trouble, and it was Finral’s fault._

_The two sat there silently as Finral’s leg kept bouncing and no matter how much he tried he couldn’t get it to stay still. In the corner of the room the grandfather clock ticked while the pendulum swung left to right, reminding him of the impending scolding they were about to get. Finral didn’t think what they did was that big of a deal, but their father considered anything and everything they did a massive deal and now they were going to face the consequences for it._

_Glancing to the side, Finral caught Langris fiddling with his fingers. The younger rarely ever got in trouble but when he did his fear and nervousness had to be much greater than Finral’s. The guilt only increased at knowing he was responsible for it._

_Finral would do anything to calm his brother so he turned to him to get his attention. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” he tried reassuring when Langris looked up at him, “Whatever father wants to say to us I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”_

_The expression on Langris’s face told Finral he didn’t believe a word he said but he nodded slightly. “If you say so…” he muttered._

_At the halfhearted response, Finral reached out to hold his hand, making Langris stop twiddling his fingers to stare at them in surprise. “It’s going to be okay,” he repeated with more confidence._

_Langris searched his eyes to find a lie hidden within them but Finral stayed resolute. He opened his mouth to speak but Finral didn’t get the chance to hear what he wanted to say when the door opened and Ledior entered the room._

_All of Finral’s confidence went out the door when they saw the expression he wore. The creases under his eyes emphasized his tiredness and his lips formed a tight frown, leaving the two children shivering under his glare._

_He hadn’t spoken a word yet, but Finral was quick to stand up and walked forward with Langris following behind until they were close enough to see their father looking down on them. Finral didn’t dare attempt saying anything first because that would surely fuel his anger._

_“You understand why I called you two here, yes?” their father started, speaking in a calm manner that masked a storm underneath._

_Finral felt too afraid to look him in the eye. “Yes father,” he mumbled._

_From the lack of eye contact or the softness in his response Finral wasn’t sure, but it became the final straw as their father snapped. “God dammit Finral you are 10 years and you still can’t do what you’re told!” Ledior yelled, making the boys flinch from the sudden outburst. “I’ve told you time and time again to stop slacking off in your studies but you never listen to me! Langris is younger than you and has accomplished a lot more and you’re supposed to be the older one! Don’t you have anything to say about this?”_

_“No father…” Finral hanged his head in shame, feeling tears prick the corner of his eyes. Langris hid behind him, holding the hem of his shirt nervously and keeping quiet throughout the whole thing._

_“I better not catch you or hear from someone else again that you’re neglecting your studies to go mess around. Take this as a learning experience and don’t do it again,” Ledior instructed._

_Finral blinked away the tears. “Yes father…”_

_“And you!” Ledior rounded on his brother, shrinking away behind him. “Stop hiding behind your brother and come here.”_

_Langris gripped Finral’s shirt tighter in fear before reluctantly letting go and stepping forward. “You should know better than to follow your brother’s bad habits. Next time he tries distracting you ignore him. I already have to deal with one disobedient child, I don’t need to deal with two. Do you understand?”_

_Langris nodded silently at the carpet and Ledior’s eyes narrow. “I expect an answer,” he demanded._

_Taking a deep breath, Langris tore away his gaze from the floor to look at him. “Yes father, it won’t happen again,” he responded in the most leveled voice a child could make._

_Ledior’s mouth twitched as if he wanted to say more but he pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled heavily before turning around and walking away. “God, I worry for the future of the company,” he muttered under his breath, slamming the door shut on his way out._

_It’s eerily silent and the two were left alone again. Finral shot a glance over towards Langris to see him clenching his fists and holding back tears. Remorse flooded him when he saw his brother on the verge of crying because of his actions. He really didn’t mean for this to happen. He didn’t mean for their father to find out they were playing tag in the garden instead of studying._

_Regardless whether or not it was his fault, seeing Langris hurt like this pained him more than anything else so Finral tried to cheer him up. “Father was probably too stressed with work since his last trip got canceled and is just taking out on us! I’m sure he didn’t mean it. He’ll most likely forget about it by tomorrow!”_

_That seemed to have the opposite effect however, because Langris’s brows furrowed and gritted his teeth as he pointed an accusing finger at him. “You! It’s your fault I got yelled at!” he shouted, “I told you father would find out about it but you said he wouldn’t! You lied to me!”_

_Finral winced. “You’re right and I’m sorry! But you’ve been looking tired from doing nothing but studying these past few days and I wanted to help…”_

_“I don’t care what your excuse is father still got mad at me!” Langris retorted. Clicking his tongue, he brushed past Finral and headed towards the door to leave. “This is why you’re struggling in school. It’s because you always go out and play games when you’re supposed to be studying. Father was right about saying you never listen. One day he’s going to realize he’s wasted his time and give up on you and then I have to be the one to clean up your mess.”_

_Finral watched Langris’s retreating form until the door closed before covering his eyes with his hands and cried. He felt so ashamed of himself. Langris was right. Father was right. He was nothing but a disobedient child who constantly got in trouble because he couldn’t handle the expectations given to him. There were no redeeming qualities about himself and he was only a burden to his brother._

_Guilt washed through Finral and all of a sudden, the room felt cramped and suffocating._

_Rushing out of the study room, he ran across the hall until he reached his bedroom and threw himself in bed under the covers. Finral wished he could go back in time to fix all his past mistakes. He had never made a single choice that made his father proud._

_‘One day he’s going to realize he’s wasted his time and give up on you and then I have to be the one to clean up your mess,’ Langris’s words rang out, rattling Finral to the core._

_Clutching the blanket, Finral squeezed his eyes shut. Tomorrow he vowed to himself he would work harder than ever before to make his father proud. It wasn’t like he had a choice either, his future had already been decided the day he was born. He had to live up to this duty since he was the one to take over the company when he got older… so it didn’t matter what he wanted._

_Finral turned over, burying his head in the pillow and immediately erased the thought._

\---

“…-ral? Finral? Finral!”

Eyes snapping open, Finral looked up from his position slumped over the island counter to see Vanessa standing next to him, hands resting on her hips and tapping a foot on the kitchen tiles.

She huffed impatiently. “What were you doing? I’ve been trying to get your attention for a while.”

“Ah, sorry about that I think I was spacing out,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. There was absolutely no way he could admit to her what he was thinking about or else she would worry and make him spill everything on his mind. Yeah no, that sounded like torture.

Since that dreadful 3am phone call, Finral had been recalling bits and pieces of his childhood past centering around his father and Langris. In every memory frustration and disappointment were the only emotions Finral saw visible on Ledior as he received a lashing from him. With Langris, his brother always had a troubled expression that morphed into anger whenever he got involved in something that was Finral’s fault. But happened all the time so Langris blamed him often.

Finral could hardly remember moments he had with his step mother aside from eating meals with the family because well… she treated him like he had the plague so he never saw much of her.

Realizing he was lost in his head again, he noticed Vanessa wearing a concerned gaze, something he had been wanting to avoid, and Finral had an inkling feeling he knew what she was going to ask if he let her speak first.

In order to prevent that he attempted to steer the conversation away from himself. “Did you need something?” he asked. She wasn’t wearing the type of clothes that signified she was going out in public so he figured she was staying home today like he was.

To his dismay, Vanessa pulled out a stool and sat down next to him. “I was wondering if you were going to finish that,” she pointed to the half-eaten sandwich Finral had in front of him.

He had completely forgotten about his lunch. He must’ve been too caught up in his thoughts to remember he had it and was the reason why he was in the kitchen. Finral considered it for a second, staring at the food before shaking his head and pushing it in her direction. “You can have it,” he offered.

Charmy had made it for him before she left for her restaurant job and Finral felt bad for not finishing it but he couldn’t when his stomach was tying knots in itself. Though he also didn’t want to waste it or else Charmy would probably kill him if she found out.

Finral watched in amusement as Vanessa snatched the sandwich away, biting into it with fervor, and Finral finally understood why she asked. “Did you stay up late drinking again?” It shouldn’t even be a question when the answer was obvious.

Groaning, Vanessa placed her elbows on the counter and grabbed her head in pain. “Yes and I feel awful,” she grumbled, “I woke up with a terrible headache so I thought I should try eating something to help alleviate the hangover.”

Finral laughed lightheartedly. Leave it to Vanessa to make decisions she would come to regret later. “You should start controlling your alcohol intake next time so you don’t throw up again like you did last week. That sandwich should help you feel somewhat better but you should also get some rest.”

“That’s what I plan to do after I finish this,” she agreed, taking another bite of Finral’s leftovers before she changed the topic. “So how did it go with your brother? Has he said anything to you yet?”

 _Oh no_. Finral almost heaved. He had been hoping she wouldn’t bring up his brother but he should’ve known he couldn’t get away with it. Once Vanessa set her mind to something there was no way out of it so Finral succumbed to his fate.

“He hasn’t said anything…” he admitted dejectedly, “I think at this point he’s purposefully ignoring me.” For a fact Langris was ignoring him.

It had been three days and Langris hadn’t answered or returned any of his calls. He had even left a few voicemails and text messages but still he received no response. It was possible that Langris was too busy to respond but Finral would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little hurt by it. If this was a way for Langris to get back at him because he abandoned home then it was effective against Finral.

He had offhandedly mentioned the situation to Vanessa last night before he went to bed and left her to drink herself sick. When she had asked why Finral merely shrugged his shoulders, unable to give an answer and confused just as her.

Vanessa hummed to herself in thought and Finral internally begged she would drop the subject. But of course, nothing ever worked in his favor as her eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers. “Oh! Why not go visit him?” she suggested.

Finral felt his heart stutter and not in a good way. Was Vanessa still intoxicated? Was she seriously hearing herself? He would rather let Yami slice him into ribbons with his prized katana sword or get demolished in a fight with Luck than do what she proposed. 

“I can’t just visit him!” he protested. That was one thing he couldn’t do even if someone paid him lottery money. The outcome of meeting his brother would be disastrous and the sheer idea of it made him panic.

“Why not?” Vanessa asked innocently, as if she didn’t understand the severity of her _‘innocent’_ question.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Finral tried explaining, “If he sees my face he’s going to be pissed.” More than just pissed, Langris would probably punch him if he saw his face. Or worse, tell him they were no longer brothers, and Finral wouldn’t know how to live the rest of his life if Langris told him that.

Deep in turmoil, he didn’t see the curled feminine fingers approaching him until it was too late as Vanessa flicked his forehead. “Ow!”

“You’re overthinking this Finral,” she frowned, “If he’s refusing to answer you then the only thing to do now is go see him.” Finral rubbed the red mark on his forehead and Vanessa’s face softened. “It’s clear that you care about your brother very much, and it’s obvious to everyone you’ve been worried about him for a while, but if you don’t try and see how he’s doing then that worry will never go away.”

She brought up a finger and gently poked his chest where his heart was located. “Even if he gets mad, at least you don’t have to stress yourself out wondering how he is when you can see him with your own eyes.”

Finral couldn’t deny that she was telling the truth. The past few days he couldn’t focus on anything when he was worried about Langris’s wellbeing. It distracted him so much to the point that Yami banished him from working for an entire week so he could sort out his issues.

 _“You can come to work when you’re ready and just by looking at you I can tell you’re definitely not ready.”_ Yami had told him.

So now here he was, cooped up in the house doing nothing except brooding to himself. Visiting Langris was still a terrible idea in his opinion, but it also gave him a reason to get out of the house. Perhaps if Finral wasn’t so terrified he might’ve taken Vanessa’s advice.

“Besides,” Vanessa continued as she smiled, “It’s not like you’re doing anything important today, right?” Magna told me you weren’t allowed to work for a week.” Dammit, she caught him red-handed.

“But… it’s a weekday. He’s probably busy with school and stuff.” Finral was desperate to use any excuse but it proved to be fruitless.

When Vanessa’s smile widened it was at that moment Finral lost the battle. “Then you can visit him at school.”

Finral’s supposed to say no. He’s supposed to say he didn’t have the right to see his brother after everything he’d done and ran away. Maybe Finral _did_ want to visit his brother, but he was pretty sure Langris wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

Instead he asked, “Do you really think this is a good idea? I mean, he _hates_ me.” He didn’t know that for sure though, after three years maybe his brother wasn’t the same as he last remembered him. It sounded farfetched but Finral could dream.

“You won’t know until you find out,” she answered honestly. “Now come on, get up and go meet your brother.” Standing up, she linked an arm together around his and dragged him towards the front door. “I would love to go with you as moral support but I’m not feeling too well right now.”

Reaching the door, Vanessa swung it open and shoved Finral with enough force it had him stumbling outside and almost falling onto the asphalt. He steadied himself, then turned around and pouted. “This is still a terrible idea,” he said weakly.

Vanessa rolled her eyes at his insistence to do anything but _not_ meet his brother. “Stop stressing yourself out it’ll be fine. How bad could it be?”

 _Extremely bad,_ Finral instantly thought. “You’re right, I’ll see if I can talk to him.” _I can’t guarantee how it’ll turn out though._

“That’s the spirit!” she cheered, “I won’t hold you up too long but be sure to tell me later how it goes okay?”

He didn’t need to tell her about it later, he could tell her about it now because it wasn’t going to go well at all. “Okay…” was all he said.

Vanessa gave him a wink and a thumbs up before shutting the door in his face. In a last-ditch effort Finral grabbed the doorknob and twisted it but it wouldn’t budge, Vanessa had locked the door. Finral stood there disbelievingly as he could only stare at the black door with the custom skull logo painted on it in shock.

Technically, Finral could just go somewhere else like to the mall and flirt with some girls for a few hours failing miserably, and when he came back, he could lie to Vanessa and say the meeting with his brother went decent. But that also meant betraying his friend’s trust and Finral didn’t have the heart to do that to her.

Sighing in defeat, Finral mentally prayed to whatever deity out there to give him the strength to confront this impending disaster. It’s not like he was going to die, but having to see Langris’s eyes full of hatred towards _him,_ his older brother, made Finral want to.

However, he couldn’t deny that he missed his brother dearly. It had been three long years after all.

Finral stared at the house longingly, wishing he could crawl under his bed and pretend that everything in the world was fine, before walking away in the opposite direction towards the train station to meet his demise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they will finally meet in the next one! Also you guys probably already know where this is going but I want to point out that the parents aren’t really good parents. Especially the mom.
> 
> Thank you for reading and see y'all next time! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: "Wow I finished editing the chapter and can finally post it!"  
> *Sees the time say 7am*  
> Me: 👁👄👁
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoy! :)

The distance between his home and the school Langris went to wasn’t very far. Finral lived in the same bustling city as his brother but it was far enough that he preferred to take the train instead of walking. And in this heat, walking for five minutes without shade would have Finral melting into the pavement. He had a driver’s license, and would’ve taken Yami’s van for convenience, but it was over at his job where the others were so he had no choice but to take the train.

Stepping inside, he was relieved to see how empty it was. Another reason why he preferred using a vehicle was because trains were almost always jammed packed. They were full of rowdy students or cranky adults, and Finral usually found himself squished between them barely able to move and extremely uncomfortable. Despite dreading the destination, seeing the lack of people and available seats today gave him a lucky feeling he hadn’t felt in forever.

Finral sat down and twisted in his seat to stare at the window, watching the building and trees whiz by. Before coming here, he had considered stopping by a store to get a small gift but he instantly squashed the idea. He was certain Langris wouldn’t take too kindly to it. What would a present even do for him? It wasn’t going to stop his brother’s vindictive behavior towards him. Langris would probably just throw it on the ground and step on it in front of him, crushing Finral’s heart in the process.

It had been so long since he’d seen him, Finral wasn’t sure what Langris liked anymore. The only thing he could recall that his brother liked were cherry tarts. When they were kids the two used to take detours after school to a nearby bakery and purchase sweets before returning home and lying to their parents about where their money had gone. It had been a weekly routine for a few months until they accidentally ran into their mother, who had also been at the bakery to buy a cake. Safe to say Liliane hadn’t been pleased and she chastised them in front of the owners.

Finral unconsciously smiled at the short-lived childhood memory as he watched the buildings and trees pass by in a blur. He vividly remembered the reaction Langris had when he tried a cherry tart for the first time. Aquamarine eyes had widened in astonishment as he said, ‘this is really good!’ to Finral before devouring the rest and buying two more.

Did he still like them? Maybe he should’ve gotten the dessert before getting on the train. Langris always had a sweet tooth from what he remembered, but a lot could’ve changed in the span of three years and Finral felt somewhat ashamed for not understanding his brother as well as he should’ve.

It only took three stops until Finral reached the part of the city where the school was. Getting up, he rushed out the doors and through the station to avoid the crowd of people starting to form. There wasn’t any need to hurry as it was the middle of the day, but Finral wanted some time to mentally prepare himself.

After a few minutes walking in the scorching heat and miraculously not becoming a puddle of flesh, Finral finally caught sight of the school. With a newfound burst of energy, he finished the rest of the distance with a quick jog up the hill and reached the entrance to see the campus in all its glory.

Clover University, an odd name for a school but had every young person dreaming of getting into. It was built over a century ago, its 1900 gothic architectural style making it stick out like a sore thumb within this technology-based city. Different sections of the school were lined up along the perimeter area, leaving a grassy field with a statue of its founder and a water fountain in the center. From the entrance where Finral stood rows of shell-pink marigold trees rooted along the main pathway and showered passing students with petals as a breeze came.

There was a separate building of dorms off to the side but Finral had never been in that area. Dorms were offered for students to temporarily live in instead of travelling back and forth, but unless you wanted to sell your kidney to afford it, most of them lived off campus in an apartment or with their families like Finral had done.

The private campus wasn’t as large compared to other universities but it had a prestigious reputation that far exceeded everyone else. Clover University was well known for its academics and research and produced various successful people like his father and soon his brother once he graduated next semester. If Finral had paid more attention in class and tried harder then maybe he could’ve been successful like them.

To this day it still boggled him he used to be an actual student here. He only attended one semester before dropping out and sullying his family name. He hadn’t attended for very long, but his school memories were fresh in his mind.

He remembered giving up days of sleep to cram as much study material for college entrance exams as he could, and when he got accepted he had never felt so proud of himself in his life. Liliane was indifferent about the achievement but his father… Finral would never forget the way Ledior ruffled his hair with a hand and smiled at him. It was the first and only time his father looked at him with such admiration.

But of course, everything went down the drain after he became a student and started attending classes. He didn’t have as much classes compared to others his first semester, but the amount of workload thrown onto him was _insane_. Finral never thought of a time where his nose wasn’t buried in a textbook at a library or a café. He stayed there into the late hours until he got kicked out, then had to finish at home where his father observed him like a hawk when he thought Finral wasn’t looking.

He couldn’t fathom how Langris handled the pressure and he never found out either. Finral ended up leaving before Langris entered college as he was a year younger, but it wasn’t like Langris was going through anything different. His brother was probably doing a lot more than Finral ever did since he was close to graduating. He could only imagine the amount of knowledge his brother accumulated here and for that he was proud of him.

Finral snapped out of it when he noticed students coming in and out of the entrance, shooting him dubious looks as they passed by. His face turned beet red. How long had he been standing doing nothing? Embarrassed, he slipped his hands into his pockets and headed through the gates, walking down the main pathway while pretending he didn’t feel the questionable gazes on his back.

A few steps into the campus, Finral suddenly realized he had no idea where to go next. After Vanessa kicked him out of the house he hadn’t really planned much ahead. But now that he reached his destination he was stumped, and he almost facepalmed himself for being stupid.

Wait… was Langris even at school today?

Finral halted once he reached the water fountain and realized his mistake. Just because Langris was a student here didn’t mean he was here specifically _today_. Finral didn’t know his schedule. If Langris didn’t have classes today then he might’ve been at home instead. He may have remembered the layout of the campus but he didn’t want to walk around everywhere looking like a fool. This place had security guards and Finral didn’t want to risk getting caught. What was he supposed to do?!

_Smart thinking, idiot. This is why you dropped out of school._

Scratching his head, Finral considered returning home. Vanessa wouldn’t be pleased with the outcome but there wasn’t anything he could do. He would have to stick with continuously calling his brother until he picked up, or worse, visit his old home.

Just when he was running out of options and was about to give up, a smooth voice promptly spoke from behind.

“Hey, you there.”

Finral jumped, goosebumps forming on the back of his neck as he listened to the footsteps coming closer. Was this a security guard? Students didn’t wear uniforms at this college so he should’ve been able to blend in with the others.

 _Calm down and act natural_ , he told himself. Whoever this person was, Finral doubt they meant any harm as long as he acted normally. What’s the worst that could happen? Pushing the assumptions away, he took a deep breath to prepare himself before turning around.

It was obvious the stranger was a student. The school issued leather crossbody bag wrapped around his shoulder was a clear indication. He had sparkling golden eyes that reminded Finral of the sun and long blonde hair tied behind him with a braided fringe across his forehead.

Finral wouldn’t deny this guy looked beautiful. In fact, he looked gorgeous. This guy must’ve had people complementing his appearance daily, and Finral would’ve added to it had he not been concerned with more pressing matters at hand. His long eyelashes and defined lips gave him a feminine look that put models to shame. If Finral studied his features more, especially his face structure, he would almost say he looked a little like Mimosa.

Okay, he needed to stop staring before the stranger got the wrong idea and called him a creep. Finral should try to figure out what he wanted from him. “Hello…” he started, giving a skeptical wave in greeting.

The stranger was a few centimeters taller than him, but the way he tilted his chin up to look further down on him like he was an insect told Finral everything. This guy definitely an ego problem and held himself in high regard.

“You seem lost and confused,” he said pointedly, “You must not be a student.”

Finral’s mouth went wide. What had he done to get detected so easily? Did he really look that out of place? The guy didn’t even ask if he was a student here, he already knew just by looking and called him out on it. Finral couldn’t lie to him but he still had to act like he wasn’t going to do anything shady that warranted him to call security.

The best option would be to tell the truth. “Um, you’re right. I’m not a student and I’m sorry for trespassing but um-” Sweat started forming on Finral’s temple as the stranger’s brows furrowed at the mention of trespassing. “There’s someone I’m looking for that might be here,” he admitted.

“Looking for someone you say? And who would that be?”

Finral mentally gave himself a pat on the back, relieved the stranger was complying but he wasn’t off the hook yet. “His name is Langris, do you know him? I was just wondering if he was here cause I wanted to speak with him.”

The stranger blinked in surprise at the name. “Langris? I know him, he’s in one of my classes.” His eyes then narrowed, making Finral glued to his spot. “But why would someone beautiful such as me give out information about other people to someone like you?

Wow, okay. Finral took back what he said about him being gorgeous. This guy was a total weirdo. And rude for that matter, but Finral couldn’t let this chance slip away. He already came this far he couldn’t turn back now. Vanessa probably wouldn’t let him back into the house if he returned so soon.

“He’s…” Finral hesitated, the next few words feeling foreign on his tongue. He didn’t believe he had a right to say it after everything, but maybe this could help get the man to understand his side of the story and _not_ call security.

He saw the other take a step back to leave and Finral sprang into action. “He’s my brother! I know I’m not supposed to be here but I’d really like to see him if I can.”

The student paused, his lips pursed in a thin line as he regarded Finral’s words. “Your brother?” he repeated.

Finral nodded. “My younger brother. I tried calling him multiple times but he never answered, which is why I’m here. I’m just worried about him so if you could please help me out I’d greatly appreciate it.”

There were a few seconds of silence as they both stared at each other with Finral refusing to back down. He honestly expected more resistance, but was amazed when the stranger relented and sighed.

“Now that I see your face more clearly you do look similar to him. Alright, I’ll help you out,” he agreed as he placed a hand on his hip. “Luckily for you, your brother did have classes today. He’s in his last one but he’s almost done.”

Finral almost cried in relief. “Thank you so much!” he shouted, then cringed. “I mean thank you for your help um…”

The man seemed like he had been waiting ages for the opportunity to introduce himself. He twirled around, smacking Finral with his strong perfume scent, and spread his arms out in the air. Finral suspected he was majoring in drama or something of the sort. “You are in the presence of Kirsch Vermillion!” he announced proudly.

Vermillion? The last name sounded strangely familiar. “Thank you, Kirsch!” Finral was tempted to shake his hand but it might’ve been too informal for someone he just met so he tried to convey his gratitude with a smile.

Kirsch returned it with a smile of his own, as if he hadn’t just interrogated Finral without mercy. He pointed to the left where a wooden bench was off to the side. “You can wait over there and I’ll let him know he has a visitor. However, it may take a while before he comes.”

Finral shook his head. He couldn’t afford himself to be impatient now. “No, it’s fine! I don’t mind waiting at all.” It was the least he could do after Kirsch deemed him worthy enough to help.

They both bid each other farewell with a wave before Kirsch walked away to the main building. Finral went towards the bench situated under a magnolia tree, swiping a few stray petals off the wooden seat before sitting down and waited patiently.

Meeting Langris was officially guaranteed thanks to Kirsch, but now came the hardest part for Finral. _Actually meeting Langris_.

Hundreds of questions raced through his mind as he waited under the tree. How was he faring? Had he been eating well, or had he been so focused on school that he lost weight? Did he look the same? Had he grown any taller since he last saw him?

Noticing his leg was bouncing, a nervous habit Finral couldn’t stop no matter how much he tried, he put a hand on his knee and forced it to stop. He shouldn’t be this antsy, it was just his brother for goodness sake not the devil.

To pass the time, Finral fished out his phone from his pocket and surfed through it. He flicked through various profiles on his dating app, then switched to the internet and watched random videos without sound to keep his mind occupied. Woefully, nothing worked to ease his nerves.

Vanessa was right, he really was overthinking this.

He was about to attempt catching the petals drifting to the ground by the breeze when he suddenly heard it.

_“Nii-san?”_

Finral sat rigid in his spot and sucked in a breath. _C’mon, you can do this. It’s Langris, your little brother you haven’t seen in years because of your own cowardice._ Steeling his resolve, he peeled his eyes away from the falling petals and looked up to see his brother standing a few feet away.

Langris looked… no different for the most part. The only noticeable difference and slightly out of character were the way his eyes widened and mouth hanged open in shock at the sight of Finral, but other than that he was still the same. He was still _Langris. His little brother._

“Langris!” Finral called as he got up. Upon walking closer, he frowned as he scanned Langris’s physique. Now that he got a good look at him his brother might’ve grown an extra centimeter but he still looked small for his age. His earlier question if Langris neglected eating often in favor of studying more unfortunately turned out to be true.

The younger stood there speechless, hand gripping the bag strap around his shoulder and openly gawking like he couldn’t believe his eyes. Finral gulped and shifted on his feet nervously. “Hey Langris…” he waved, breaking the silence.

That snapped Langris out of his stupor. Aquamarine eyes softened for a split second, so sudden that Finral was about to ask himself if he had imagined it before they hardened. _“You,”_ he spat vehemently, “What are you doing here?”

Finral flinched at the icy glare thrown at him but he was prepared for this reaction. “I-I know I’m not supposed to be here but-”

“That’s not what I meant,” Langris interrupted, lips curled in a snarl. “I’m saying what are you doing _here,_ as in why are you here in front of _me_?”

Ouch, well Finral couldn’t say he didn’t see this coming, Langris wasn’t wrong to be mad at him. It wasn’t like it could get any worse but he couldn’t give up yet. “I just… came to see how you were doing.”

Langris blinked, caught off guard and genuinely nonplussed before he clenched his fists and hissed. “Are- Are you serious? You wanted to see how I was doing after what, three years?”

 _Just be honest and it’ll be fine,_ Finral kept telling himself. “I am serious. I know I’ve been a terrible brother to you but ever since you told me about father passing away I’ve been worried about you.”

And he had every right to be worried. Not only was Langris not eating enough but he also looked haggard. His face was scrunched with anger but it didn’t dispel the large dark circles under his eyes.

“No.”

The short answer took Finral aback. “No?” he asked.

“No!” Langris yelled, his rising voice catching the attention of a few stray students around them. “You have no right to be worried about me! Three years after you abandoned your family you suddenly decide to waltz back into my life? Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you show your face around me!”

“Langris I- I may have left home but I didn’t abandon you.” He left home because of how he was treated by their parents and the pressure of society, not because of Langris. _Never_ because of Langris. There wasn’t a day that went by when he didn’t think of his brother and Finral desperately wanted to tell him that but Langris wouldn’t believe him.

Taking a step forward in Finral’s personal space, Langris jabbed a finger into his chest hard enough to hurt. “So now you’re lying to me. Looks like you haven’t learned anything else aside from lying and running away. Don’t bother trying to act like my brother and showing me your fake concern.”

“Get out of my sight, I don’t ever want to see you again.” Langris brushed passed him, striding towards the school entrance and leaving Finral behind in the dust.

Stunned, Finral stood there in the middle of the pathway as the phrase _“get out of my sight”_ haunted his brain. He was right about his earlier assumptions. Clearly Langris wanted nothing to do with him and if he tried to follow then Langris might punch him.

Finral saw this coming but this shouldn’t affect him so much. Langris was an adult who could make his own decisions. If he didn’t want to see Finral anymore then who was he to deny him? But… if Finral let him walk away now and let Langris slip from his grasps, then he may never see him again.

And he didn’t want that to happen.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Finral turned around and ran up to catch him. He knew Langris was aware he was following him but he didn’t stop walking. It wasn’t until they reached the entrance Langris finally halted and whipped around.

“Stop following me,” he growled.

Finral held up his hands in mock surrender. “Just hear me out,” he pleaded. Langris looked like he wanted to do anything else than listen, but at least he didn’t walk away again. “I’ve been trying to reach you with that number you called me with that night but you never picked up. I wasn’t sure if something happened or if you were just ignoring me so I came to see you in person.” _And I wanted to see you,_ he didn’t say.

“And as I’ve already stated before, I don’t want to see you-” Langris suddenly stopped, pausing in an uncanny way as he peered at the older. “Wait- you’ve been calling me?”

“I mean… yeah?” Finral was unsure how to handle this abrupt change. His brother’s demeanor drastically shifted from hostility to bewilderment, and the most confusing part was that Finral didn’t know why.

Slight movement caught Finral’s attention and when he looked down, he noticed Langris’s fingers twitching against his thigh. That was strange. Years of growing up together Finral was able to pick up on his brother’s habits. These small signs from him helped Finral understand what Langris felt at the time if he refused to be honest and open up.

Eyes glancing to the right as he spoke meant he was telling a lie, and crossing his arms meant he was being defensive. Whenever he was curious or excited, he would go up and down on his tiptoes and Finral always found it adorable as kids. There were other habits Langris also did but he learned to control himself better as he got older. Seeing him again now it was difficult for Finral to tell what he was feeling behind those cold calculated eyes.

But his fingers twitching, specifically the fingers from his left hand, meant that Langris was _nervous._

“Don’t…” Langris hesitated, “Don’t call that number anymore.”

Finral tilted his head in vague confusion. “Why? Is that not your phone number?” he asked.

“No, it’s the maid’s phone. I borrowed hers because mine broke.” His eyes flickered to the right.

“Oh…” Finral didn’t know what was happening or how to approach this. “Then would it be okay if I used her number to get a hold of you in the future?”

“Do you have to ask a question every damn second?” Hostility returned to Langris full force and Finral winced at his mistake. “If I said don’t call that number then don’t call it. If she isn’t answering you then it’s because she’s busy. You’ve lived on your own for three years yet you still can’t listen. Even in death father must still be disappointed in you,” he sneered.

Finral’s heart sank as his eyes trailed down. Langris struck a chord in him with what he said. Wherever Ledior was in the afterlife, he must surely be shaking his head at him for what he became. Finral doubt he could ever escape from his disappointment for as long as he lived. Even after he died one day, it probably wouldn’t change father’s feelings towards him.

The lack of response stretched on to where it was Langris who spoke again. When Finral looked back up his brother appeared conflicted for a moment as he adjusted the strap on his bag.

“We both know you wouldn’t have come here if father hadn’t died,” Langris spoke in a grave tone. His eyes glistened but there was nothing bright about them. “You’ve survived three years on your own without us, Nii-san. If you can do that, then I’m sure you can survive the rest of your life the same way.”

Langris stood there silently, gazing into Finral’s and squeezing the leather strap in his hand. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he just closed his eyes and turned on his heel.

Finral didn’t follow him again this time. Instead, he just watched his brother stroll further down the sidewalk before vanishing into the crowd. With him out of sight, Finral went the opposite direction and headed towards the train station. He wasn’t going home but he had another idea in mind. If he reset his emotions properly then Yami shouldn’t have a problem with him working.

_“We both know you wouldn’t have come here if father hadn’t died.”_

It was harsh and cutthroat, slicing in areas that attacked Finral’s insecurities in the worst ways. He always disliked it when Langris didn’t hold back his comments. Even when they were kids, he could be really cold blooded without realizing it. Growing up it may have been a part of his personality but it was still uncalled for and sometimes hurtful.

Finral didn’t exactly hate it, hate was such a strong word after all, but he didn’t like it when their relationship headed in that direction. Which was why he accepted whatever was thrown at him with a smile and moved on from it, his brother usually ended up forgetting about it anyways. But what Langris just said to him before leaving…

_“We both know you wouldn’t have come here if father hadn’t died.”_

Gritting his teeth, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked faster.

Finral _hated_ how he was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Langris is still an angry Pomeranian boi sorry y’all.
> 
> Also unpopular opinion: I like Kirsch. I was originally gonna name the college Golden Dawn but I felt like it would've been a great disservice to him lol.
> 
> Thank you for reading and see y'all next time! :)


	4. Chapter 4

It was near closing hour when Finral entered the shop after his crushing encounter with Langris. Arriving unexpectedly had surprised everyone working there, but allowed him to stay for the rest of the shift.

The place he worked at was a quaint mechanic shop situated near the edge of the city Yami established after moving into the country. Privately owned, Yami could do whatever he wanted and hired whoever he saw fit as long as he followed protocol. Most people never expected the place to last as long as it did, but for the inexpensive cost Yami charged, they accumulated a decent number of regular customers to keep the place running.

It was dingy, unorganized, and honestly not as proper a mechanic shop should be, but it was niche and suited his lifestyle that Finral couldn’t see himself working anywhere else. This shop was the place where he first started his life anew.

After Finral left home three years ago, he had desperately needed a job to prevent becoming homeless. As luck would have it, he accidentally bumped into Yami while wandering around the city. He had expected to get cussed out by the burly man for walking in his path, but was dumbfounded when asked if he wanted a job.

Finral couldn’t comprehend what Yami saw in him that day in the middle of the crosswalk, but not wanting to lose this chance he told him yes without thinking. Yami had grinned at the answer and Finral was hired on the spot, and he ultimately found a new place to call home along the way.

He worked the front desk and was the only employee as the receptionist because the others were… well, there was a reason Yami assigned him that position and not anyone else.

Gauche, Gordon, and Grey worked here because they couldn’t get hired anywhere else. They didn’t have the best social skills and customers avoided them, so they just assisted Yami in the back of the shop fixing vehicles. Magna was another coworker slash housemate who took Finral’s spot when needed, but he preferred tinkering with machines than chatting with folks.

Sitting in an office chair behind the reception counter, Finral flipped through a magazine offhandedly, skimming the pages but registered nothing.

Meeting his brother had been a total bust. He _knew_ this would happen from the moment Vanessa made the suggestion, yet he couldn’t help but feel bitter about the exchange. Getting brushed aside like he was dirt had been inevitable, but he had hoped things could’ve gone any other way than Langris spitting out the truth in the most ruthless way.

_“We both know you wouldn’t have come here if father hadn’t died.”_

Finral gripped the magazine tightly, leaving dents in the pages. That phrase wouldn’t escape him ever since he got here. It was like the cherry on top for his tower of self-contempt, and there was nothing that could be said or done to knock it down.

Langris hadn’t been wrong when he said that, and it made Finral realize just how pathetic he really was. He went three years avoiding his past, and it wasn’t until something tragic happened in the family that he willingly tried to do something about it.

 _And look where that got me,_ he criticized himself.

Irritation flaring, he was about to crumple the magazine into a ball and toss it in the trash when a heavy hand rested on his shoulder. Straight away he knew who it belonged to, and he begrudgingly looked up to see his boss towering over him with a cigarette in mouth and frowning.

“Magna told me you were feeling fine enough to work, but from what I can see you lied,” Yami pointed out.

Caught like a deer in the headlights, Finral gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his head. It was time to play innocent. “Was I being that obvious?” he laughed lightheartedly.

Yami didn’t look amused and Finral suddenly pictured himself digging his own grave. Nothing could get past his keen eyes, especially when it was at his shop. He grabbed the cigarette from his mouth and blew out smoke, letting the puffy cloud dissipate into nothingness. There was a no smoking sign plastered on the windows but that rule didn’t apply to his boss apparently.

“Come with me. Let’s have a nice chat together outside in the back,” he offered, which sounded more like an order.

Finral paled at the implication, and he gestured weakly to the glass double doors. “But… the customers?” came his lousy excuse.

“If you paid attention to the clipboard that’s on the counter in front of you, then you’d notice we have no more appointments today,” Yami countered, a smug smile tugging on his lips. “Don’t give me that frightened look it’s nothing serious. You’ve been brooding for days and I just wanna talk.”

Feeling more at ease from his reason, Finral stood up and trailed after Yami through the shop, passing the others along the way who shot him concerned and curious glances before returning to their tasks. Upon exiting the back doors into the parking lot, Yami sat down on the curb and Finral followed suit.

It was quiet as Yami took another casual drag of his cigarette, blowing away the smoke and watching it dissolve in the air as Finral fidgeted next to him. From Yami’s relaxed posture he wasn’t in trouble, but he still felt tense beside him.

A few more seconds of uncomfortable silence passed and Yami sighed. He dropped the remaining cigarette stub on the ground and crushed it under his foot. “You saw your younger brother before coming here, right?” he started, “Vanessa texted me that you left to go see him. How’d it go?”

Oh, so that’s what he wanted to talk about. An ache settled deep in his chest, and Finral turned away as his eyes welled up with tears. It was a simple question really, a casual question that required an equally casual answer.

But it had been such an agonizing day and that was all it took for him to crumble.

“It was terrible!” he cried, throwing his hands in the air. “He was surprised to see me but then he got so angry! I was afraid he was going to hit me.”

He would never forget seeing the rage in his brother’s eyes when he saw him at school. The sight was ingrained in his head forever. He wished Langris had hit him or done _something_ to make him forget the disaster that transpired.

Yami gazed out into the distance, unsure of himself as he scratched his stubble. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but I heard it’s normal for siblings to fight often.”

Finral shook his head solemnly. He was on the verge of crying, and if he blinked, he was sure they’d come out. “You don’t understand Yami, this is more than just fighting. He doesn’t want anything to do with me! You know what he said to me? He told me to ‘get out of my sight’!”

“Has he always been this way with you?” Yami asked as he pulled out a cigarette pack and lighter from his pant pocket. Taking another stick, he placed it between his lips and cupped a hand over it for the flame.

“No, not always…” Finral admitted, “We used to be a lot closer when we were children.” A fond smile formed as he recalled his tender memories as a child, remembering the old days when he and Langris used to be inseparable at the hip until their parents threw the weight of responsibility onto them.

Their father started them way too young. Finral was around seven and Langris was six when Ledior began taking their studies seriously, both at home and while he was on a business trip. Irreversible cracks developed between him and his brother because of it.

“As I got older, our father pushed us to study more to ensure we could properly take care of the business after him. Originally, I was supposed to inherit the company but you know how that turned out,” he sighed.

Yami paused to blow out more smoke. “And your mom?”

Smile dropping, Finral picked up a nearby pebble and threw it across the parking lot to distract the twinge of resentment stabbing him. “She never really liked me. She had always favored Langris since he was her actual son.”

His eyes stayed focused on the pebble he just threw, but Finral heard a snort beside him. “Wow, your parents sound like assholes,” Yami deadpanned.

A sudden burst of laughter erupted from him he had to slap a hand over his mouth to cease it. He shouldn’t have laughed over an insult towards his parents and he felt guilty, but he wouldn’t deny what Yami said about them was true. “I wouldn’t exactly say it like that,” he considered, “But they were the main reason why I left.”

Finral didn’t regret leaving home. Not at all. He rarely found happiness in that dreary house aside from whenever Langris was also happy, and maybe that one time his father was proud of him for getting accepted into college. He just regretted leaving _him,_ his brother _._ And after what happened a mere few hours ago, now he’s here to pay the price.

“I don’t know what to do. I’m really at a lost here…” he lamented, bringing his knees to his chest and hugging them. If he took into account with what Langris said and never saw him again, he didn’t think he could ever live with himself.

“Well, I see two options for you,” Yami mentioned, bringing back Finral’s attention. “You can either let go of this issue you have with your brother and move on or you can do something about it. If I were you, I would choose the latter option.”

Frustrated at the advice given and his boss’s nonchalant attitude, Finral turned to him and glowered. “What more could I do if he said he doesn’t want to see me anymore? He _hates_ me.”

Yami raised a brow. “Did he say he hated you?” he inquired.

“Not directly but it sounded like he did,” Finral sighed. Langris may have not said it, but that didn’t make him feel any better.

“There’s your answer,” Yami concluded, and when Finral stared at him confused he explained. “He’s pissed at what you did, but he doesn’t hate you. Just talk to him. And by that, I mean _seriously_ talk to him. If he’s going to be mad at you for wanting to make amends then it’ll be his lost.”

“But there’s no way I can just do it again. Talking doesn’t magically fix everything,” Finral stressed, hugging his knees tighter. _All I’m good for is running away. Langris even said it himself, that’s all I do. I’m nothing but a coward._

“Do you really believe that about yourself?”

The straightforward question had Finral flinching and his face drained of color when he realized he said that last part out loud. Inwardly cursing himself, he carefully considered his next answer. “I mean… it’s true, isn’t it?”

“I never once believed you were,” Yami protested as he turned to face him. Dark grey eyes bore into him with a mixture of intensity and care. “You’ve made mistakes in the past but you’re trying to fix them now, aren’t you? Sure it didn’t go as how you wanted, but you still made an effort and that says a lot about you.”

Smiling, he lifted a calloused hand and patted Finral on the head. “It takes courage owning up to your mistakes, and that’s not something everyone can do. You’re anything _but_ a coward, so don’t sell yourself short kid.”

Silence settled between them again and the tears from earlier came back to Finral in waves but he couldn’t hold it in anymore. With the sleeve of his shirt, he rubbed away the drops staining his cheeks and bit his quivering lip.

“Also,” Yami continued, turning away to give Finral some privacy as he wiped his eyes. “Your parents sound like complete trash, but one’s already gone and one day the other will be too. Who will your brother have by then?”

Finral nearly gasped as his eyes widened, the words striking a chord deep within him. He was right. Yami was _right_. So undeniably right that it left him speechless.

 _I can’t keep doing this,_ he told himself as he cleaned his face to get rid of the tears. They didn’t have any outside relatives who cared enough to keep in touch when they were young. His grandparents had long since been gone. Father’s gone now. Mother was getting up in age and one day she’d be gone too. At some point in life…

Finral will be all that Langris had.

“I… thank you Yami,” he croaked, throat too raw to articulate. “That puts a lot of things into perspective for me. I think I know what I have to do now.” And he did. Skirting around this wasn’t an option for him anymore. It wasn’t going to get him anywhere. And he couldn’t wait any longer when Langris had already waited years.

If his brother truly didn’t want him in his life anymore then so be it, but Finral needed to hear it from him directly. Langris may have said what he did today in the spur of the moment without meaning to because he hadn’t expected to see him out of the blue. But Finral couldn’t know that for sure until he _tried_.

The hand on his head disappeared and Finral looked up to see Yami standing and snuffing out the cigarette stub with the heel of his foot.

“It’s about time we closed the shop. Let’s help the others clean up,” he instructed before extending a hand down to him.

Taking the offer, Finral stood to his feet and dusted his pants. “Thank you, and sorry for unloading all my personal problems on you,” he couldn’t help apologizing. It was an instinct for him.

Yami waived him off and together they entered the shop through the rear door. “Don’t worry about it that was a nice chat. It’s just that nobody here likes to see you down all the time. Vanessa had been blowing up my phone asking me where you were and if you were okay. She was really worried about you.”

A swell of warmth coursed through Finral as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah really? I should apologize to her when we get home then,” he chuckled.

When they saw everyone else inside cleaning around Finral spotted Magna in the corner putting away tools in the storage cabinet. “Hey Magna,” he called, making a beeline towards him as his friend whipped around and lifted his glasses.

“Whoa dude, what happened to your face?” he pointed at him. With no mirror to check, Finral guessed he didn’t do a great job fixing himself.

“It’s nothing bad I swear,” he explained before Magna could throw more questions at him. “Are you busy this weekend?” The shop was closed during weekends, but he didn’t know if his friend had any plans for those two days.

Magna put a hand under his chin and thought about it. “Mm, I don’t think so. I was planning to ride my bike but that’s about it. Why?”

Finral smiled, “Well I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor…”

\---

_Curled up in bed under the blankets, Finral gazed at the moon gleaming through the window of his bedroom. It was a full moon tonight and light spilled across the walls and himself in a faint silvery glow._

_Normally he would’ve found the sight peaceful and calming as he grew tired, but it did nothing for him tonight. He couldn’t fall asleep no matter how much he willed himself to rest, and it seemed like it was going to be that way the entire night. His face remained passive and blank, but his thoughts ran rampant over the events of earlier today._

_That evening he and Langris had played tag in the backyard garden but received an earful from Liliane after accidentally falling on a patch of flowers and ruining them for life. To say that she was angry was an understatement, and Finral had been close to covering his ears as she screamed at him._

_He was just glad that it was flowers instead of something costly like an antique vase his parents owned. Though that didn’t prevent him from getting sent to his room and ordered to stay there until morning. Now here he was in bed that he’d been lying in for the past few hours because he wasn’t allowed to come out._

_During the incident, the maid had led Langris away and mother smiled sweetly at him before she focused on Finral and berated him. He hadn’t seen him for the rest of the day, but at least Langris didn’t get in trouble like he did._

_Good. His brother did nothing wrong._

_The door from behind creaked open, interrupting Finral’s thoughts. Who’s there? It was way late into the night for the maid to still be here and his brother should be asleep in his own room. Was that mother?_

_Crossing his fingers, he desperately hoped not. He already cried enough in bed after getting scolded, he didn’t want to spend more tears in front of her. Like father, Liliane always hated when he cried in front of her. She would just call him weak-minded and laugh at him._

_Finral wanted to pull the blanket over his head and curl tighter into a ball but he didn’t want to alert them he was awake. If he lay unmoving and pretended to be asleep, then whoever was at the door would leave him alone. Or so he prayed._

_They didn’t walk in but neither did they leave and Finral knew that when the shadow cast over him didn’t disappear. They just stood there in silence, watching him as his heart pounded against his ribcage. Shuddering in fear, he squeezed his eyes shut. Please don’t yell at me please don’t yell at me please don’t-_

_“Nii-san?”_

_Tension in his muscles eased away and Finral relaxed at hearing the small voice behind him. He sat up in bed, the sheets pooling in his lap as he turned to face him. “Hey Langris, you couldn’t sleep?” he asked. He hadn’t seen him since evening but he was surprised that Langris sought him out hours after bedtime._

_The dim light from the hallway shone behind his brother, making it difficult for Finral to see him clearly. There was no response from Langris as he stood there with a hand on the doorknob, but that was okay. Finral understood the message._

_Without another word, he scooted over on the bed to make room and lifted the covers, smiling as he patted the empty space next to him._

_Langris immediately took the invitation. He carefully closed the door behind him with an inaudible click as not to wake their mother before rushing towards the bed and climbed in._

_Lying back down together, Finral pulled the covers over them both snugly. He was sure Langris was sleepy but noticed him biting his lip, showing that something was on his mind._

_The question flew out before he knew it. “What’s wrong?”_

_They were facing each other but Langris wasn’t looking at him. “You didn’t have to do that…” he mumbled._

_Finral felt his concern slip away. That’s what was bothering him? He should’ve known his brother would beat himself up over something like that._

_It was Langris who had tripped on his foot while running and squashed the flowers. Not Finral. But when Liliane asked who did it, Finral had raised his hand and said it was him before Langris could admit it. Accident or not, Finral wasn’t going to let him get in trouble for something so trivial, and if it meant taking the blame for it himself, then that’s fine._

_“I know, but I wanted to,” he reassured._

_Langris didn’t look convinced based on the frown. “Mother wouldn’t have been as mad if she knew I was the one who did it.” Liliane definitely would’ve treated him differently than she did Finral. She probably would’ve told him to be more careful next time and let him be instead of yelling at him._

_“But she still would’ve been mad regardless,” Finral countered. Gardening was Liliane’s favorite hobby. It was only natural she got infuriated when something she cared about was destroyed. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t see the patch of flowers until it was too late. I couldn’t let you get in trouble.”_

_“Well she shouldn’t have gotten mad anyways,” Langris retorted bitterly. “They’re just stupid flowers. She can grow new ones to replace- ow!” He yelped when the Finral flicked his forehead and gaped at him, offended._

_“Don’t use those kinds of words that’s not very nice,” Finral chided, then brushed aside his brother’s fringe and soothed the spot in apology._

_Langris let out an indignant huff, but closed his eyes when the hand moved upwards running fingers through his hair and stroking it. Finral assumed he was going to fall asleep from the motion until his brother spoke again and changed the subject._

_“I wish father hadn’t given us separate rooms,” he murmured. More so to himself rather than for Finral to hear. The older smiled as he kept carding his fingers through brown locks, the younger humming in approval and leaning his head closer._

_Last week before Ledior left on another business trip he had turned the spare bedroom in the house into Langris’s own room. His reason for it was that since he was now six, he was old enough to sleep by himself. Both children had disagreed with father, but they knew better than to go against him._

_“I wish so too,” Finral agreed, “Sleeping isn’t the same anymore without you.” It was tough the first few nights for him and he discovered how overwhelming the darkness could be without the presence of his brother beside him._

_But it had to be worse for Langris if he disobeyed father’s rules and snuck out in the dead of night into his room. Finral wasn’t complaining though. He would’ve done the same and left his room sooner or later to join him if Langris hadn’t acted first._

_Father was away from home for a few days and unable to keep a watchful eye on them. Finral just had to wake his brother up and take him back to his own room before mother noticed and told on them._

_“Yeah…” Langris mumbled before yawning in a way Finral found adorable. “Hey Nii-san?”_

_“Hm?” He yawned as well. It was getting harder for both of them to stay awake._

_“We’ll always be together, right?”_

_The hand stroking his hair paused and Finral pulled back to see Langris chewing his lip again. “Of- of course!” he blurted, “Why do you say that?” The question was out of nowhere and it confused him to no end. What was he so worried about that he had to ask this? Finral started growing frantic over the possible reasons._

_“Father already separated our rooms. Who knows what will happen when we grow up,” Langris confessed. His eyes were downcast and glum, an expression Finral hated to see. “Do you remember when the maid told us she left her family as a teenager? I don’t want that to happen to us.”_

_Their house maid had opened up once and talked about herself to the brothers when she had to watch over them while their parents were away on vacation. But that was months ago, and it bothered Langris this whole time?_

_“Hey, look at me,” Finral called softly. The other was hesitant, almost scared even, but he eventually listened and peered up at him. “We have different rooms now but that doesn’t mean we’ll be separated. Even if we can’t be in the same room or right next to each other, no matter how far apart we are, we’ll always be together in heart.”_

_Langris was still uncertain by the answer as he searched Finral’s eyes for a lie, but he held out a frail pinkie. “You promise?” he whispered._

_Finral wouldn’t let anything get in the way between them, he would make sure of it. Not their parents, not their maid, not whoever else in the future, not anyone. Even if the universe went against them nothing could ever tear them apart. He would never let it happen._

_Grinning, Finral extended his own pinkie and crossed it with the other, earning a small smile from Langris in return._

_“I promise.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wholesome brotherly love is what I live for (even if it’s just a memory rip). 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has left a comment/kudos and enjoyed reading! I will see y'all next time! :)


	5. Chapter 5

“Do you think you can go a little slower?” Finral called over Magna’s shoulder, practically shouting over the wind blasting their faces like whips and biting their skin. He was sitting behind Magna on the motorcycle, arms wrapped around his waist and latching on for dear life as his friend rode down the street at a speed Finral was certain was illegal.

They were currently on their way to the old Vaude house on the other side of the city from where he lived, a place he hadn’t visited in three years after he was banned from coming back. Taking the train was a viable option but riding on the bike helped ease his stress.

It worked out for the both of them anyway. Magna got to ride his ‘baby’ for fun and Finral got to experience the dangerous thrill despite watching his life flash before his eyes every time Magna turned a sharp corner. Still, it was a lot better than the train during rush hour in the sweltering heat. The breeze kept him cool against the sun bearing down on his back. And he definitely needed the fresh air for what he was about to do.

The only downside to this method of transportation was that he wasn’t wearing a helmet, something he deemed a necessity and had told Magna on multiple occasions to purchase at least two for both their safety, but his friend enjoyed living on what he called ‘the wild side’. Whatever that meant, Finral didn’t want to find out.

“Huh? What’d you say? You said you wanted me to go faster?” Magna yelled back as he swerved around a stray dog crossing the street and nearly giving Finral a heart attack.

On second thought, maybe Finral should’ve taken the train instead. “No!” he shouted, squeezing around his waist tighter to show that he didn’t find it funny. “Actually, forget what I said just don’t crash please!”

Magna barked out a laugh over the wind running through his slicked back hair. “Okay okay no more jokes, I promise. Nothing’s gonna happen so just relax!” Glancing at the cellphone strapped to his forearm showing the directions Finral gave prior, he made a sharp turn left and ignored the car he passed honking at them. “So, how are you feeling?” he asked.

 _I feel like I’m gonna die from a stroke if you keep driving recklessly,_ Finral wanted to say. He knew what Magna was referring to though. “To be honest with you, I’m kind of nervous,” he confessed.

“You only told me a gist of it before we left, but I think it’s nice that you’re trying to make up with your brother,” Magna told him.

“It won’t be easy though. I don’t even know if he’ll listen to me,” Finral sighed. The first time he tried talking to Langris it had ended horribly to no one’s surprise. Trying for a second time… Finral still wasn’t sure if it would work out. Langris had always been pretty adamant with anything he said since learning to speak as a baby. But it’s as what Yami said at the shop that helped Finral see the bigger picture.

Langris was only angry at what he did, but that didn’t mean he hated him.

Whether it was true or not, Finral couldn’t be certain until he tried. As long as he did try, then that was enough. He could figure out the rest after.

“All the more reason why you should do it then!” Magna encouraged, jostling Finral from his thoughts. “Families that fall apart happen that way because they don’t talk to each other. If you just tell him the truth why you left and how you feel I’m sure he’ll understand. It’s the manly thing to do!”

Finral pretended the tears prickling the corner of his eyes were from the wind. He was truly grateful for the support from his friends. Without it, he didn’t think he would ever come this far nor have the courage to return to an area he once forced himself to forget.

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you,” he smiled.

“Or at least he better understands,” Magna continued in a suddenly serious tone, “If you end up crying because of him let me know and I’ll talk to him for you.”

A sweat drop trailed down his temple as Finral tried laughing away the hidden threat towards his brother. “Uh, you really don’t need to do that, but I appreciate the help.”

Taking in his surrounding, Finral realized they were nearing their destination and his throat seized up when his childhood home came into view on top of a hill. He removed an arm from Magna’s waist and pointed at it to show him. “That’s the one,” he said.

Magna didn’t respond yet, squinting in the direction of Finral’s finger up ahead, but when he did, he gasped. “Oh my god, this is where you used to live?! It’s freaking huge!” Pulling in front of the house, he screeched the motorcycle to a halt and pushed his shades over his head.

Finral rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. He had expected Magna’s shocked reaction. He got off from the bike and stood next to him, waiting patiently as his friend gaped at the sight.

It wouldn’t be classified as a mansion per se, but it was significantly larger in every aspect and more spacious than the Black Bulls house despite having fewer bedrooms. Living here had always felt empty to him even when it was the four of them together plus the maid in the house at once.

Built by his father soon after he got remarried, the home lay situated at the top of a paved hill bordered by shrubs and a steel fence. It was separated from the main neighborhood in the area for privacy, and the closest stops were a lone convenient store and a park at the bottom of the hill. Sumptuous to an outsider’s point of view, it could be someone’s dream home if they had the riches.

The sight of it left a bitter taste in Finral’s mouth.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed lush vines beginning to crawl along the brick walls on the sides of the house and curling around the lower windows. It wasn’t surprising to see since Liliane cherished her plants, except it was strange. She wouldn’t have let them grow out of control, and if father were still alive, he would never approve of something like this.

Goes to show how much could change after three years when he wasn’t around.

“Damn, I can’t believe you used to live here. Your parents must be stacked,” Magna commented after getting over his shock.

“Yeah, you could say that again,” Finral sighed and scratched his arm unconsciously. This place had never felt like a home to him. Nothing memorable came out of here aside from his brother but that’s all. This place was nothing more than prison he had escaped from.

“You want me to wait for you out here?” Magna jerked a thumb behind him. “I can wait for you at the convenient store we passed so no one accuses me of snooping around.”

Shaking his head, Finral waved him off. “No, it’s fine I can take the train home. I don’t know how long I’ll be anyway.” He mentally crossed his fingers that he could have at least a minute of conversation with his brother. Would be an added bonus if it went reasonably alright also, but that might be asking for a lot.

Magna seemed like he wanted to protest about leaving him alone, but settled for patting Finral’s shoulder. “I hope everything works out for the both of you. Call me if you need anything!” He grinned and flashed a thumbs up for encouragement before revving the bike and taking off down the street.

Finral watched him speed away, and only when his friend disappeared around the corner did his shoulders sag. His old home was an unpleasant sight to see, and just standing in the vicinity of it made him want to throw up. He’d rather be anywhere else than here. The dumpsters would be a better place to visit than this garbage of a home.

However, as much as he wished to be far away from here as possible, he couldn’t today. There was something he needed to do, and if he reverted to his cowardly ways and shied away now, he’d lived the rest of his life regretting it.

Well, Yami would also probably beat him to a pulp if he bailed out after all that emotional talk at the shop, so Finral really had no choice.

Sighing, he began walking across the stone pathway on the front lawn leading to the door. Each step weighed him down but Finral pushed through. When he reached the front door, he stared at it like it was the final boss to a video game, its daunting presence making him shiver.

 _I can do this,_ he thought. _And even if I can’t, I have to._

He raised a fist, hovering inches from the wood, and took a deep breath before knocking on it. He stepped back and waited. Seconds ticked by as he jittered in place, and after what felt like an eternity the door cracked open and Finral prepared himself.

He had somewhat expected the family maid to answer since she handled all visitors, or his stepmother, but god forbid she answered. He did _not_ want to see her today. Or ever.

To his surprise, it was neither of them.

Langris peered from behind the door, appearing frazzled and irritated. He looked ready to tell off whoever trespassed and disrupted his peace, but froze when he realized exactly who was standing there.

“H-hey,” Finral greeted awkwardly. He took a moment to scan him and his heart sank to the pit of his stomach when he noticed dark bags under dull eyes devoid of brightness.

His brother’s mouth hanged open, eyes wide and brows raised as he eyed Finral up and down in disbelief. “Wha-” he sputtered, “Nii-san? What the _hell_ are you doing here?” He opened the door wider to fully face him but didn’t budge to let him inside.

Normally Finral would tremble under his wrath like when they met at the college a few days ago, but after seeing his haggard state, he felt a new profound sense of determination. “I wanted to speak with you,” he answered.

“And last time I told you to get out of my face,” Langris rasped angrily, unrelenting. “Now _leave_.” He moved to shut the door, but Finral instinctively jammed a foot in the crevice, ignoring the jolt of pain shooting up his leg. Langris seemed surprised at the action before glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill it would be this.

“Move your foot,” he growled.

Finral did the opposite. Placing a hand on the door’s surface, he leaned in closer. “Please, just hear me out, that’s all I ask of you. I promise I won’t take long and I’ll be out of here as soon as I can.”

He expected more of a fight from the other to be quite honest. He expected Langris outright refusing the request and tell him off or slam the door on his foot again on purpose.

Instead, to Finral’s bewilderment, Langris fell silent at the plea and appeared troubled _._ He hesitated in the doorway but reopened the door to release his foot and eyed him dubiously. “… And if I say no?” he asked.

“Then I’ll just stay outside your door.” Finral crossed his arms. “I’m sorry for saying this, but I’m not leaving until we talk and I mean it.” He knew he was acting like a petulant child but he was finally getting somewhere based on his brother’s hesitation. “I know our relationship has been rocky but-”

“Wait,” Langris held up a hand and Finral clamped his jaw shut. Puzzled, he watched his brother look behind over his shoulder silently, attentive eyes darting around the foyer and living room area by the entrance briefly before turning back around and stepping outside.

Langris closed the door with a soft click, though before Finral could ask what he was doing, he grabbed him by the wrist and forcefully pulled him away.

Finral stumbled ungracefully, barely catching himself and got his legs to function in time as they crossed the pathway away from the house. “W-Where are we going?” he asked, confused out of his mind.

Langris didn’t grace him with a response. He continued dragging Finral along with a vice-like grip on his wrist, and together they reached the sidewalk and started heading down the hill.

It took a few minutes on foot to reach the bottom and the entire time neither of them said a word to each other. Finral grew anxious from this assertive side of Langris but ultimately decided to trust him and see where he led them.

Turning the corner, he realized they ended up at the park and suddenly memories flashed before his eyes. There wasn’t anything special about it that would make a kid excited, it being nothing more than a spiral slide, monkey bars, and a swing set, but to Finral it held years of childhood fun.

It wasn’t often, but as kids when they had free time from studying or couldn’t play in the house, he and Langris would race downhill to see who would get to the playground first. Finral had won every time to his amusement and his brother’s annoyance.

They thought the slide was boring, and they feared trying the monkey bars since they didn’t want to risk upsetting their parents if one of them got injured, so they stuck with the swing set. It was their favorite as they took turns pushing each other and imagined themselves flying in the sky.

They didn’t have any friends from school and they lived secluded from the neighborhood so the whole playground belonged to them. Finral remembered that he preferred it that way. Just the two of them playing together and no one else to bother them. The only ones to witness their childhood here were the trees huddled in the background, carrying whispered memories in the wind.

Now it was nothing more than an abandoned park, left to rot away because the city most likely forgot to maintain or demolish it. Further examining it, Finral noticed the paint on all the metals replaced with rust and the slide looked on the verge of collapsing if a leaf landed on it.

The entire vibe of the park was unsettling and if Finral were here alone during the night he would feel creeped out.

He was brought out of his thoughts when the grip on his wrist released and Finral turned to see Langris walking ahead to take a seat on one of the swings. The corroded chains groaned under his weight and Finral cringed in apprehension of it breaking apart. “I don’t think sitting on that is a good idea…” he tried warning.

Langris didn’t seem to care though. He grabbed the chains by his head and stared blankly into the distance. “Now answer my question why you’re here,” he snapped. “You said you wanted to talk, so talk.”

Finral almost did a double take when he heard him. He couldn’t believe his ears. His brother was willing to listen? To _him_? The anxiousness he had from earlier dissolved but he didn’t have time to dawdle anymore. He didn’t want to keep Langris waiting any longer than he had to and ruin his only possible chance.

Walking forward, Finral sat on the available swing next to him and prayed the wood above their heads didn’t give way and killed them. He focused his attention on the mulch dirtying his shoes as he thought back to his previous conversation with Magna.

 _Just tell him the truth,_ Magna had said. Yami and Vanessa had told him something similar, and Finral wouldn’t let their advice be for nothing.

Taking a deep breath, he started calmly. “I know you’re angry with me and you have every right to be, but I’ve missed you, Langris. That’s one thing I could never lie to you about.”

There was no response from the other but Finral merely waited and played with the mulch using his foot. He knew what was coming.

“You’ve missed me,” Langris deadpanned after a while, repeating it slowly and mulling it over in his head like it was some foreign language. From the corner of his eye, Finral could see him gritting his teeth and he swallowed roughly, preparing for the worst.

“You’ve missed _me_?” In a seething rage, Langris gripped the chains tighter, jerking them under his shaking fists. He still wasn’t looking at Finral, but the menacing aura he emitted was all that was needed to make him wince. “That is such a load of crap. If this is your attempt at trying to get along with me it’s not working. I knew it, this is a waste of my time.”

He made a notion to stand up and leave but Finral was faster. “Wait!” Reaching out, he caught him by the sleeve. Langris yanked his arm away and finally turned to scowl at him with eyes set ablaze. It twisted Finral’s insides at seeing how much pain he caused his little brother.

“Please, Langris,” he pleaded, trying to get him to understand. “I just wanted to see you again, I really did miss you. Even if I haven’t said anything for the past three years, I still thought of you every day.”

Based on his brother’s expression he didn’t believe a single word and surely enough, he exploded. “You don’t get to do this to me!” Langris pointed an accusing finger at him. “You don’t get to just leave and then come back out of nowhere and pretend what you did never happened!”

“You have to understand that it wasn’t my intention!” Finral’s voice rose. He had to calm down or else this would turn into an ugly shouting match. He took another breath and tried to relax. “I just couldn’t handle what father expected of me.”

Langris rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Because you’re weak. You can’t listen to what’s asked of you and you ran away to avoid your responsibilities.”

“You’re right,” Finral didn’t deny him. “I left because I couldn’t handle the pressure, but that didn’t mean I wanted to leave you. I had originally planned to visit you often but father made it very clear I wasn’t allowed to return home after I told him I didn’t want anything to do with his business.”

He paused as he pushed the ground with his shoe, causing him to rock back and forth slightly on the battered swing. He never liked thinking about his parents as all it did was diminish his self-esteem, but honesty mattered in this conversation. And it especially mattered to his brother if Finral wanted to fix this rift between them.

“They made me feel so… so worthless. And I knew it wasn’t right,” he admitted for the first time. Not to just Langris, but also to himself. It was a fact he had blocked out his whole life until now.

A parent should never treat their child like they meant nothing. Finral had accepted every punishment and insult thrown at him with a nod and smile, and it wasn’t until he moved out and started living on his own that he realized how cruel his parents were. He had left Langris with them because it was obvious at how much they favored him over Finral and he assumed everything would be alright.

So, he left home without turning back. He took up his biological mother’s last name and refuted any connections with his parents when someone so much as even thought of it. The company was well known to the public and Finral didn’t want to be associated with any of father’s affairs.

Days had turned into weeks, then months, then years without contacting his parents… and sadly his brother.

Now here they were sitting on rusting swings in a decaying park. Feet apart in distance, miles apart as brothers, the cracks between them so wide Finral would fall to his death if he tried jumping over.

And it happened because he didn’t have the courage to do something about it three years ago.

“I left home because of them, not _you_ ,” Finral continued when his brother didn’t speak and noticed how he flinched at the words. “You don’t have to forgive me, Langris. I’m not asking you to.”

“Then why are you here?” Langris demanded.

The answer was plain short and simple. Determined, Finral turned to face him. “I want to make amends with you.”

“You what? You’re telling me we should just start over and everything will be fine and dandy?” Langris threw his hands up in exasperation. “You’re hilarious, Nii-san. You should go work for the circus I’m sure they’d love to have you.”

Finral bit his lip. _This isn’t working_. His hands fiddled with the hem of his shirt as one question fogged his mind since his talk with Yami. He hadn’t planned to bring it up because it petrified him to know the answer but he wasn’t getting anywhere with Langris. At this rate, Langris was going to leave and Finral wouldn’t be able to stop him a second time.

As much as it hurt to ask, he had to. Because if he couldn’t, then everything he did up to now would be for nothing.

“Do you really want me out of your life?” he asked, refusing to look his brother in the eye.

“Excuse me?”

“If you do, that’s okay. I won’t hold it against you,” Finral reassured. “I mean, it’ll hurt, but I know that it’ll be what you want. I’ll be fine if you say yes. I just want you to _say_ it.”

It would hurt him no doubt if Langris said yes. He would probably become a sobbing mess in his bed as soon as he got home, but the choice was up to Langris and he wasn’t leaving until he received an answer.

He was so, _so_ tired of running away.

Langris fell silent and Finral glanced up to see him staring at the ground conflicted, lips pursed and brows pinched together in thought. Finral opened his mouth to say more but stopped himself. It wasn’t an easy question for Langris, and he needed time to think it over.

Finral would give him all the time in the universe if it meant he said no, though.

“You can’t pretend the last three years never happened…” Langris murmured after a deafening minute, having no bite to his words for the first time since they started talking.

“You’re right and I’m not going to, but I’ll make sure it never happens again,” Finral vowed. He swore on his life that he’d never make the same mistake twice. His brother had suffered long enough.

Chewing his lip in consideration, Langris then sighed, “You’re not leaving are you.” It wasn’t said as a question, but Finral knew better.

He smiled solemnly, “Only if you want me to.”

Langris eyed him warily and waited, as if he was expecting Finral to laugh and say that everything he had told him was a joke. When nothing happened, he dragged a hand over his face, making the dark circles under his eyes more prominent. “I swear you can be so insufferable sometimes,” he groaned. “Fine. Since you asked nicely, I guess I’ll say no. That doesn’t change anything though.”

“Then do you hate me?” Finral blurted out. He couldn’t help asking otherwise he’d never be able to rest. He desperately needed to know whether his brother sincerely despised him or not.

Langris appeared taken aback by the abrupt question. Glancing away, he twisted his fingers together in that nervous habit of his as he struggled to respond. “I- I don’t necessarily hate you,” he admitted tentatively.

A wave of anxiety dissipated from Finral as he sagged in his seat. _He doesn’t hate me. Yami was right. Langris doesn’t hate me!_ A thought soon came to mind, and he gasped in realization. “T-Then does this mean everything is okay between us?”

Suddenly blue eyes narrowed and pierced through Finral like needles. “Don’t misunderstand me,” Langris warned, “Just because I said that doesn’t mean I’m going to accept you in my life so easily. You’ll have to earn my trust, and we’ll do it on my terms.”

Standing up from the swing, Langris walked a few paces forward and Finral briefly panicked, thinking he had changed his mind and was leaving.

Eventually though he stopped, and without turning around he clenched his fists. “This isn’t an act of forgiveness, Nii-san,” Langris started. Finral knew he wouldn’t, but that didn’t stop his heart from sinking when hearing it. “I’m not forgiving you. In fact, I don’t think I _can_ ever forgive you. But… if you say you’re not going to run away again and own up to your mistakes then maybe…”

Langris trailed off and turned around to gaze at Finral with such intensity that he couldn’t move. His eyes wavered, blue orbs swimming full of doubt, yet somewhere within there Finral could also see a sliver of hope.

“… Maybe I can give it another try too.”

Time seemed to stand still, the only ones moving being the trees behind them swaying in the wind. Leaves drifted through the air and scattered across their feet as Finral soaked it in.

Langris didn’t forgive him, that part was evident. He didn’t and he probably never will but-

His heart fluttered rapidly against his ribcage, and before Finral realized it, he was out of his seat running.

“What are you- oof!”

Langris was cut off when Finral wrapped his arms around his neck, bringing him in a firm embrace. “N-Nii-san?!” he sputtered. His arms hung loosely by his sides, befuddled and at a loss of what to do as he stood there trapped inside his brother’s arms.

“That’s all I needed to hear, _thank you._ ” Finral wept against his shoulder, his tears falling and staining his brother’s shirt. His legs trembled and he would’ve collapsed on the ground if not holding onto Langris, but he was completely overjoyed and beyond relief. _He had his little brother again._ He couldn’t believe it.

The younger was quiet for a moment, taking into account Finral’s gratitude before speaking. “I haven’t forgiven you yet,” he reminded severely.

“I know,” Finral said, still crying and not letting go.

“I’m still angry with you.”

“I know and you have every right to be.”

“You’re an idiot.”

Finral tightened his hold around him and smiled against the tears. “I’m the biggest idiot in the world.”

“I should hit you,” Langris threatened, but there was no real malice behind it.

“You can hit me all you want after,” Finral laughed. “I just missed this. I missed _you_. You have no idea how happy this makes me.”

No amount of reconciliation could ever restore the cracks in their relationship, but it was the start of something new between them. A start to a new beginning as brothers, and it was everything Finral could ever ask for.

“Why are you doing this?” Langris whispered weakly against his chest, referring to the embrace he didn’t return. Said in such a fragile voice like he was afraid to know the truth. Like he feared Finral was going to crush any chances of miniscule hope for him.

The answer came out without thinking. “Because I’m your older brother,” Finral replied honestly, “I’m sorry I wasn’t better at it until now.”

Nothing else was said and after a while Langris started fidgeting in his hold, signaling Finral to finally release him. He was reluctant to do so, but he didn’t want him to become uncomfortable. “Is your phone fixed yet? We should exchange numbers so we can keep in touch!” he suggested while wiping his tears with his sleeve.

Langris blinked in confusion as he slowly processed it before rubbing an arm and glancing to the right. “No, it’s still broken,” he said to Finral’s disappointment. “Don’t worry though, I’ll contact you somehow.”

“Oh, that’s fine! When can I see you again? Tomorrow? Next week?” Finral couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice while standing on the balls of his feet, ready to bounce up and down. He was already looking forward to seeing his little brother again.

“Quit asking so many questions it’s annoying,” Langris huffed, “I said we’ll do it on my terms, which means I’ll reach out to you whenever I’m ready. Just-” He threw a quick glance over his shoulder at the house up the hill before facing Finral. “Don’t come back here unannounced anymore. Mom’s not going to like it if she sees your mug around the house.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Finral smiled sheepishly. “I’ll wait to hear from you then, but promise me you’ll actually do it?” He didn’t want to come anywhere near his old home again if he could help it, but he would have to if Langris ended up changing his mind and tried ghosting him.

Langris leveled him with a grim expression. “I don’t need to make promises to keep my word. We’re not children anymore.” He took a step back and Finral realized that he was about to leave. “I’m going to head home now, goodbye Nii-san.”

Not bothering to wait for a response, Langris turned on his heel and left the park, leaving the other by himself.

Finral cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “I’ll see you later!” With a wide grin, he waved goodbye as he watched his brother’s retreating form until it vanished around the corner.

\---

Later that day Finral walked out of the nearby convenient store munching on a treat as he headed towards the train station. Once he returned home, he was going to tell his housemates everything that happened. He had rewarded himself with a snack after a successful turn of events and was high on cloud nine for the rest of the day, and possibly the next few days.

To be honest, an immense part of him had expected to get rejected harshly again. He knew Langris well enough to know that he was the type to hold a grudge against someone, even if that person was Finral. Fortunately, that tiny amount of hope he had grasped onto worked out for him in the end.

By no means had Langris forgiven him, absolutely not. Finral wouldn’t have forgiven himself either if he were in his shoes. He was simply astonished that Langris had willingly agreed to let him back in his life.

Did he think he deserved it? Not really. Even after their talk, Finral still didn’t think he did. He hadn’t said a single word to him in three years after all, so it was justifiable if Langris held some sort of resentment towards him.

But when Finral embraced him for the first time in years and wasn’t pushed away in disgust, lashed at, or even ridiculed for doing it…

It gave him hope that perhaps maybe, _just maybe_ , Langris had missed him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finral growing a backbone? In my fic? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I'm sorry if my updates seem slow but I appreciate everyone who sticks around and waits for them! I'm too dedicated to this AU so there will definitely be an ending to it someday. I'm also putting this into a series because I do plan to write some extra stuff after finishing the main story. It'll just take time. Lots of time lol.
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone! Stay safe and I'll see y'all next time!! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Looks at the date*  
> Me: *sweats nervously*

Finral and the others sat around the dining table, cards in hands close to their faces as they eyed each other with suspicion and mistrust. Cheating was a serious crime here, and it was an established rule that whoever abused it would have to clean the entire house by themselves for a week as punishment.

Tonight was card game night for the Black Bulls, and Noelle sat along with them after having been invited by Asta. After one round Yami had excused himself from the group, saying something about not wanting to miss his favorite show and went to go sit on the couch and watch tv.

Finral thought he only did it so he didn’t have to listen to Asta screech in everyone’s ears after losing but either way he was somewhat jealous that Yami got to sit out.

For fairness, everyone took turns choosing what kind of card game they would play. Today it was Charmy’s turn and to Finral’s unfortunate demise she had chosen Uno, his least favorite card game for obvious reasons. Once it started, he had made a bet with himself to determine how long it took for an argument to break out and surprisingly it hadn’t happened yet after 30 minutes in.

The atmosphere lay tense as Noelle placed a wild card on the pile and considered her options. “I think I’ll choose green,” she eventually decided, shivering under everyone’s intense stares at her.

Finral smiled behind his cards at her wise decision. Yes! Majority of the cards in his possession were of the same color. Now if he could just get rid of at least half of his cards, then he could finally catch up with everyone else and possibly win the game for the very first time.

Next to him it was now Vanessa’s turn and she placed a card down while glancing at him _._ “I’m so sorry,” she mouthed.

What was she sorry for? Confused, he looked down.

_Draw four._

His smile faltered. Why was he here? Just to suffer? Vanessa may have been his best friend but damn, she sure didn’t show any mercy. This was why he lost every time when it came to Uno. He never liked the idea of rage quitting since he knew everyone would make fun of him for it but this was getting ridiculous.

Vanessa smiled apologetically at him, but Finral knew she didn’t feel sorry at all. “I’ll go with red,” she said, bringing the cards up to cover her face and hide her devious smirk.

Finral sighed as he added the extra cards to his already massive collection. One more hour of this cursed game and he could finally go to bed and get some sleep. Game nights with his housemates were always fun, when he wasn’t losing of course, but he had work in the morning and he needed all the energy he could save up for the customers he was going to deal with tomorrow.

Scanning his cards, a sense of hopelessness filled him when he realized he had every color _but_ red. The urge to quit mid game merely grew and at this point he honestly wouldn’t mind getting teased if it meant he could pass out in his bed already.

“Wait guys, I just realized something,” Asta spoke up, breaking the tension as eyes flew in his direction.

Everyone froze in their seats and Finral could faintly hear Vanessa whisper to herself, “Oh no…”

Asta put a finger under his chin and grinned smugly, as if he had just discovered the scientific meaning to life itself. “Uno is only one letter away from spelling out Yuno’s name!” he announced, overjoyed at his newfound revelation. “Isn’t that cool?!”

A round of groans resounded across the room, leaving Asta perplexed at their reactions. “Huh?”

“Can somebody shut that kid up? I feel like I’m losing brain cells every time he opens his mouth,” Yami called from the couch, laid back and feet hiked up on the coffee table.

“I’ll gladly do it,” Gauche muttered from Finral’s other side.

“What’s wrong? Was it something I said?” Asta asked worriedly. He seemed genuinely confused and Finral felt bad for him. After all, the poor boy had no idea what he was about to start.

Magna dragged a hand down his face tiredly. “Yes, you idiot. You’ve told us this like a million times already. We get it, Uno is one letter away from spelling out your best friend’s name. Stop telling us every time we play the damn game,” he begged.

“But I don’t remember saying it before,” Asta reasoned, trying to defend himself. The poor, poor boy. It was about time for someone to step up and help the kid out.

“C’mon guys give him a break,” Finral laughed nervously, trying to ease the situation much to everyone’s despair. “He probably forgot because he’s tired from school or something.”

Gauche rolled his eyes at the terrible excuse. “No, he forgets because he’s an idiot,” he corrected.

Taking offense, Asta jumped up from his chair, bumping the table along the way and knocking down the pile of cards. “Hey!” he yelled, “I may not know my multiplications that well but you don’t have to call me that!”

“What’s five times five then,” Gauche asked, raising an accusing brow. “Also, why are you getting mad at me when Magna’s the one who called you an idiot first?”

“Ha, that’s easy! It’s- it’s uh,” Asta stuttered, face turning red as he racked his brain for the answer a kid half his age should know. Finral tried helping him out by showing the answer with his fingers, but to no avail the boy was too busy glaring daggers at Gauche to notice him. “Well, it doesn’t matter because I’m still not an idiot!”

Gauche smirked, “I find that hard to believe.”

That was all it took to push the last nerves of Asta as he jumped onto the table and sending the cards flying off. So it took a total of 38 minutes for chaos to erupt. Finral may have lost against his own bet this time around but he had been close.

Luck stood up as well while watching the event unfold with wide electrified eyes. “Are we starting a fight? Let me join I wanna fight too!” he grinned.

“Oh, I’ll go get the popcorn!” Charmy suggested excitedly as she hopped off her chair and made her way towards the kitchen.

Noelle leaned in on Vanessa’s other side and whispered in her ear. “Is it like this every time?” she asked.

“Only if we play Uno. It’s the kind of game that tears friendships apart,” Vanessa told her, and Finral could completely vouch for that. “Although…” she trailed off as she eyed Asta and Gauche, looking about ready to strangle each other on the table. “This is mostly because of something else. Don’t worry about it though you don’t need to get involved.”

“I don’t think I even want to,” Noelle mumbled to herself, combing through her hair with her fingers as she focused intently on Asta. Ah young love, Finral surmised.

Deciding to take the initiative, Vanessa raised a hand to get their attention. “Now let’s not get hasty here, boys. Why don’t we try to finish the last round civilly then call it a night, alright?” she suggested but sadly fell on deaf ears.

Magna dropped his head on the table with a thud. “Now I know why Yuno never comes over during Uno game night. It always becomes a mess,” he groaned.

Amidst all the shouting between Gauche hounding Asta with math questions and Asta calling Gauche a sister freak, Yami suddenly interrupted them. “Oi Luck,” he called, craning his neck back to look at the group, “Can you go check the mail outside for me? I forgot to do it earlier.”

Luck tuned out the commotion and turned to face him. “Huh? Why me?” he asked.

Yami took out his cigarette and sighed, as if the innocent question was already making him exhausted. “I’m making you do something useful before you break someone’s bones,” he explained, pausing for a bit before adding, “Also you don’t have a job remember?”

“But you fired me from your shop,” Luck countered.

Magna, who had listened in on the conversation, tried to smack his friend upside the head but Luck’s freaky senses helped him dodge it in time. “You crazy bastard, do you not remember what you did two months ago? You set one of our customer’s cars on fire because you wired the engine wrong. And don’t lie and say it was an accident either! I know you did that shit on purpose.”

Luck laughed at the accusation. “You have no proof!”

“I was literally standing right next to you watching you do it. I thought you were doing it correctly until you said ‘hey, wanna see a cool trick?’” Magna threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “You’re lucky that customer didn’t file a lawsuit against us or else we’d all be homeless right now.”

“But it was so fun watching it burst into flames!” Luck cheered, his fists shaking from his excitement at the memory. “I wanna do it again!”

Magna face palmed himself and slumped in his chair, defeated. “Oh my god, this is why Yami fired you,” he sighed.

“And I’m not letting you set foot in my shop again either,” Yami clarified, “My soul almost flew out of my body when you pulled that stunt.” He then turned to Noelle who sat up straight when she met his gaze. “Don’t forget to call and let your brother know that you’re alright. I don’t know how he has my phone number, but I don’t want him blowing up my phone demanding to know where you are.”

The color drained from Noelle’s face when Yami had her remembering what she should’ve done at least an hour ago. Frantically, she pulled out her phone and began fiddling with it to ease her brother’s worries and more importantly prevent him from grounding her.

Yami returned his gaze to Luck, and together they stared at each other in a standoff that Finral shivered under even if he wasn’t a part of it. However, after a few seconds of tense silence the younger ultimately relented.

“Okay boss!” Luck agreed before bouncing his way across the room and out the door to check the mail.

The commotion had settled slightly as Finral observed Asta and Gauche sitting in their chairs again. They purposefully refused to look at each other as Magna hooked an arm around Asta’s neck and reminded him that he was still a man even if he didn’t know his multiplications while Charmy offered Gauche her popcorn to help calm him down.

Finral sighed, leaning back in his seat and putting the rest of his cards down on the table. It seemed like Uno game night was officially over and he could not be more grateful. He was just glad the argument wasn’t as chaotic as it was last time when Charmy had gotten angry after she had lost her snacks in a bet against Luck over a game of Hearts.

Even though the games sucked the life energy out of Finral, he still found them quite enjoyable. Playing with his housemates was an easy pastime to keep his mind occupied from life stressors such as wondering when Langris was going to contact him and also the death of-

No, he wasn’t going to think about that anymore. He’d been over this. It happened weeks ago and Finral had already told the truth and expressed his feelings about it to Langris at the park. And besides, what did it matter when he finally got his brother back in his life? That was much more important to him than his-

 _Stop._ Finral had to shake his head to get rid of the image of the man he wanted nothing to do with. Well, there went his relaxed mood, now ruined because of one thought. Why couldn’t he just forget about it? It had little to do with his current situation, yet it remained in the corner of his mind in practically anything he did.

Thinking like this only brought more stress to him. Maybe it was about time he went to sleep now so that he could wake up in a refreshed state. He did have work tomorrow morning anyway…

A nudge to his side broke him from his somber thoughts and Finral looked up to see Vanessa eyeing him worriedly. “Hey, you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” he reassured, although Vanessa seemed like she didn’t buy it.

“You said you’ve started making amends with your brother last time you saw him. How’s that going for you?” she instead changed the topic and Finral smiled at her for picking up on his emotions.

But unfortunately, the question also caused him to lean forward to rest his chin on the table and let out a disappointed sigh. “I haven’t heard from him yet,” he admitted, dejected.

It had been four days since his talk with Langris at the park. _Four days_ and his brother still hadn’t contacted him. Calling wasn’t an option because Langris said his phone was broken but Finral didn’t know how else he was supposed to hear from him. He grew restless by the day and he was starting to wonder if Langris really did ghost him. It pained Finral to assume that as a possibility, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise.

 _“I’ll reach out to you whenever I’m ready,”_ he recalled what Langris had told him.

As much as Finral was tempted to risk it and go back to his old home to see him, Langris had asked for time. If he went and visited then Langris would think Finral didn’t believe in his word and he didn’t want to go back five steps after finally taking one step forward towards being brothers again.

So, the only thing Finral could do was wait for Langris to reach out first. It was the best thing he could do for him, even if he was a little frustrated that it had been four days already. Four days wasn’t much and Finral was probably just overreacting, but he couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling he had.

_Ahh I want to see him again soon!_

“You must want to see him that badly.”

Finral jerked his head up to see Vanessa with her chin resting in the palm of her hand and elbow on the table as she gazed at him. “What do you mean?” he asked, attempting to play dumb.

“It’s written all over your face,” she teased as she lifted her other hand to poke his cheek.

There was no point in trying to deny it. “I guess I really do,” he said while letting out a laugh. Vanessa was an expert at reading his mind, which could either be a good thing or kind of scary if he ever got on her dangerous side.

“Aww don’t look so gloomy it’s not a good look for you. You’ll scare away all the girls,” she joked before placing a hand on his shoulder. “The main thing is that you’ve finally talked to your brother and he’s willing to let you back in his life, right? I know it can feel upsetting having to wait but you have to trust him. I assume he’s not the type to break promises?”

“No, he never breaks them,” Finral answered with confidence. Langris had never once broken a promise when they were kids. It had been Finral who’d broken them. He could still vividly remember the one he had made with Langris years ago during that night when he had promised him they would never be apart.

And yet here Finral was, having to pick up the pieces of their relationship after shattering it…

Vanessa squeezed his shoulder when she noticed him spiraling down into a deeper hole of guilt. “Then _trust_ him,” she repeated with emphasis. Finral could only manage a nod, the sudden lump in his throat making it difficult to verbally agree with her.

“Now with that being said…” she trailed off and Finral watched her collect the scattered cards around the table. Asta took notice of her actions and silently assisted her by picking up the ones that had fallen on the floor. “I’d like to meet him one day,” she suggested, “You should invite him over to the house. I’m sure everyone else would love to meet him too.”

Finral pondered the idea for a minute, debating with himself if introducing his brother to them would be alright. Langris had always been great with meeting new people and making conversation with them so there shouldn’t be a problem with it. Besides, it would be great if he could show Langris the other people he also considered as his family.

“I don’t think that’s a bad idea,” Finral smiled as he pictured Vanessa doting on his brother since that’s what she loved doing to new visitors.

“Then until I get to meet that cute brother of yours, why not tell me more about him?” Vanessa recommended. She placed the organized deck of cards on the table before turning towards him. “Is he nice? I remember he shot your offer down to talk when you visited him at his school.”

“He’s really sweet,” Finral answered instantly, defending Langris on instinct because that’s what he always did as his older brother. Though after he said it, he recalled their last interaction on the swing set with those piercing blue eyes filled with nothing but contempt towards him.

“When, um, he wants to be,” he nervously added as an afterthought.

Vanessa was about to ask more questions pertaining to Langris when the front door busted open and Luck stepped inside with a stack of mail tucked under his arms.

Finral eyed the stack. When was the last time any of them checked the mail? Or was that only from today? He rarely ever received mail, so he was sure most of them were for Yami regarding his mechanic shop.

“Here’s your mail!” Luck called, skipping towards Yami and tossing the stack of envelopes in a pile over the coffee table. “All of them are yours except for one.”

Yami grunted in response and went searching through the envelopes at a quick pace, most likely already knowing they were for bills or of some sort. “Hm?” He pulled out one he didn’t recognize and flipped it back and forth to examine it. “What’s this fancy looking envelope?” he muttered to himself.

“Fancy you say?” Magna asked from where he was shuffling the cards Vanessa and Asta had just organized and tilting the chair back on its hind legs. “Does it contain money? Because that’s what I really need right now for a new paint job on my bike.”

“Don’t we all,” Yami mumbled, taking a drag of his cigarette. “It’s actually addressed to Finral.”

“Me? From who?” Finral asked while sharing a questionable look with Vanessa before standing up.

Yami read the sender’s name and smirked. “Dunno, come here and find out yourself,” was all he said and deliberately not answering Finral’s question.

Finral did not like the meaning behind it at all. Bewildered, he made his way to Yami and took the envelope from him with hesitant hands and as he scanned it, his mouth hanged open in shock when he saw exactly who it came from.

_‘Langris Vaude’_

Was this a fake? The back of the envelope contained a wax seal of someone’s initials that he immediately recognized. There was only one person in the world who owned this custom-made wax seal. His father. Although Finral guessed it now belonged to Langris considering the circumstances.

But how did Langris know where he lived? Finral’s mind ran rampant, searching for a plausible answer because he never remembered telling him about his address. The memory of Langris saying _“I’ll contact you somehow”_ sprang to mind and he belatedly realized that this must’ve been the only way to do it.

Silently making his way over to the table, he dropped in his chair, and from the shaking in his hands and anxious expression everyone else knew what was up.

A hand gently grabbed his elbow and Finral almost yelped at the icy touch. He turned his head to see Vanessa’s comforting smile. Oh… he was doing it again, wasn’t he?

 _You’re just opening a letter, Finral. Stop freaking out you’re not handling a bomb for goodness sakes,_ he mentally scolded himself as he chewed his lip and turned his attention back to the envelope.

Without wasting anymore time, he ripped it open with haste and in it contained a single piece of paper that he took out and read.

_‘Come to xxxxx street this Saturday by noon. There’s something I want to show you there. Do NOT be late._

_-Langris V.’_

Finral blinked as he reread the words over and over. The street name Langris gave him wasn’t one he remembered off the top of his head. He was curious to find out where it led to, but an underlying sense of dread consumed him when he took out his phone to search up the address on the map.

Vanessa took the letter as Finral was distracted and read it. “He only mentions a street name and time?” she asked puzzled, “That sounds pretty cryptic. I wonder what the place is.”

“Don’t go it might be a trap to some shady alleyway to get you killed!” Asta chimed in panicking.

Amused, Finral rolled his eyes. “It’s from my brother,” he said, “I doubt he’d do anything like that. It’s actually-”

The weight of a thousand bricks slammed back into him all at once as he gasped, eyes widening in horror. The bold letters on the screen burned into his memory so fiercely and unforgiving that Finral almost dropped his phone at the sight.

The reaction had everyone concerned.

“What is it? Your silence is making me nervous,” Vanessa asked in a pleading tone.

“It’s…” Finral trailed off as he stared at his phone in disbelief. This had to be some sort of joke, right? There was no way Langris would ask him to go there after he had spilled out his feelings over the issue of it at the park. Why would Langris do this to him? He was honestly speechless.

And after everything he so desperately tried to do to forget about-

Vanessa grabbed his elbow again and he was grounded back to reality.

Not bearing to look at the screen any longer, Finral turned away and handed over his phone for her to read. Out of all the things he was expecting from his brother, it certainly wasn’t this. He didn’t understand why Langris would ask to meet him there, but whatever the reason was, Finral was _not_ looking forward to it.

In fact, he was downright terrified.

“Oh,” was all Vanessa said once she saw the location on his phone.

 _Oh indeed._ Finral took a deep breath and sighed, but it did little to ease the black murky pool of apprehension and fear swirling inside his chest as he finally told everyone else.

“…It’s a graveyard site...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asta you’re too precious for this world please never change. Also I tried going for a more light hearted chapter since you can probably imagine what’s going to happen next lol.
> 
> I’m actually pretty excited to write the next chapter so I swear I'm not gonna take another 2 months omg I'm sorry.
> 
> Thanks for reading and I’ll see y’all next time! :)


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Finral saw as he entered the door to the florist shop was a barrage of colors. It was blinding. Too bright. Highly saturated flowers flooded every corner of his vision. The sight would’ve given him a headache if he hadn’t been so desperate to finish what he originally came here to do.

A bell above his head rang to alert an employee of his presence, but Finral scurried away from the door and disappeared down a random aisle before someone noticed him. He had one goal in mind, and he didn’t want to catch anyone’s attention until later.

Inside, the atmosphere was damp and heavy. Condensation trailed down the windows and the fluorescent lights from above illuminated every speck of particles floating around. The mixture of floral aromas was pungent, and it was almost too much to handle but the hints of sweetness Finral could detect helped balance it out.

Walking down the aisle, he scanned the various flowers bundled together in plastic vases ready for purchasing. Most were displayed out in the open for customers to admire directly, while others were stored inside refrigerators behind glass doors to slow their aging process.

Every inch of this place was covered in colors Finral didn’t know even existed. From the succulents resting on the windowsills to the tall weeping Ficus plants up to his head, the florist shop was basically a world of its own. Finral wished he could spend hours taking in everything, but he was on a strict time limit.

Was coming here even worth it? Since reading the letter, Finral struggled over the idea and now that he was finally here, he still wondered if he had made the right decision and oh- there he went making a big deal out of it again.

Forcing the thought out, Finral tried to focus on one of the bouquets presented in front of him. Different shades of blues and greens arranged nicely and tied together with a ribbon. They looked fresh, as if handpicked recently.

Lifting a hand, Finral brushed a finger under one of the blue flowers and eyed them precariously. He had zero knowledge about flowers so he didn’t understand what type these were or what they signified, but he guessed none of it really mattered.

Considering where he was going to put them later today, these plants wouldn’t last long in the hot weather outside the store. They’d probably be dead by tomorrow, drained of all its moisture and withered dry. Finral was only doing this because it was the kind gesture that counted.

Or at least that’s what he kept telling himself.

So what did it matter if he was getting flowers for someone? And so what if this person was someone he hated thinking about with every fiber of his being? Regardless of how much his chest ached every time Finral pictured their face, doing this was necessary. It was something he had to do because… because…

_Because what?_

Finral jolted, pulling his hand away from the flower as if it singed his skin, and panic immediately overtook him.

This was a mistake. He shouldn’t have stopped by here, and every second that passed Finral regretted his decision even more. Maybe it would be for the best if he just went on his way. Langris might already be waiting for him and Finral knew how impatient he could get.

Luckily, nobody had noticed him yet so if he could just try to get out before-

“Finral? Is that you?”

The mention of his name caused Finral to spin on his heels startled. Flurries of excuses formed on the tip of his tongue, but they all vanished when he realized who had called him.

At the end of the aisle stood Mimosa, her hair tied back and a patch of dirt smeared on her cheek. She adorned gardening gloves and an apron that had seen better days with cactus designs stitched over its two large front pockets.

Everything about her attire screamed like she belonged here, and Finral spoke up before he knew it.

“Mimosa?” he called, “You work here?”

The teen hurried down the aisle to meet him and smiled. “Welcome! I never thought I’d see you here,” she greeted. “And yes! I’m working part time during the weekends to save up money for some things I’d like to buy. My parents tell me I don’t need to do this but I love the work. I find that taking care of plants is relaxing and worthwhile.”

Mimosa paused to eye the bouquet Finral had previously touched. “Are you looking to buy flowers?” she asked curiously, “I’m still learning how to be a florist so I’m no expert, but I’ll help you in any way I can!”

Though Finral was reluctant to explain, thankfully Mimosa was someone he was familiar with. Her benevolent smile was enough to brighten anyone’s day and on the rare occasions he had conversations with her when she visited the house, he was always comfortable in her company. For just this once, maybe it was okay to ask for help.

“I’m trying to find flowers to give to someone,” he started.

Fully giving him her undivided attention, Mimosa tilted her head. “What kind are you trying to find?”

Finral rubbed an arm and turned to stare at the wooden flooring. Even though he opened up, he still lacked the courage to look someone in the eye when speaking about it. “I’m not really sure to be honest with you,” he admitted hesitantly, “I guess any kind of flowers will do fine for me.”

Mimosa put a hand to her chin in thought, before eventually asking, “Is it for a date?”

“What? N-No! It’s nothing like that!” Finral denied, waving his hands frantically in front of him to further prove his point. “I’m going to visit someone’s grave today so I thought I’d at least, you know…” He gestured to the flowers and trailed off, unable to finish the sentence as the ache in his chest began surfacing again.

Finral could practically visualize the gears rotating in Mimosa’s head until they clicked into place, and he watched as her sunny smile diminished into a small sympathetic frown.

“Oh…” was all she said. Mimosa seemed at a loss on how to respond and Finral couldn’t blame her. She didn’t understand the full story behind it, but she must’ve had an idea that it wasn’t a positive one after she caught him having an internal breakdown in the middle of the store.

“I just don’t know anymore,” Finral continued when she stayed silent. “I don’t know if getting flowers is even worth it. I feel like I’m only doing this because I’m obligated to.”

It was the only reason because why else would he do it for someone who had belittled him for almost his entire life? They were blood related and that fact was never going to change.

Finral sighed and scratched his head in frustration. “I mean, aren’t flowers supposed to represent you care about that person? If I didn’t have the best relationship with them then maybe I shouldn’t do this.”

Mimosa studied him silently, and it was then Finral realized he had probably said too much. Damn, why did he have to go and say that? All he had to do was ask about flowers he could buy, not dump his insecurities onto her.

Embarrassed, Finral waited to hear something from her that would make him want to jump in a hole, but when he looked to see her reaction she merely hummed in thought.

Mimosa turned to the flowers beside them and gazed at it. “You don’t have to find a good reason to give someone flowers. I’ve helped plenty of people here and each one of them had their own reasons,” she said. “Sometimes people will get them for someone when they don’t want to. Or they’ll give someone flowers knowing that it’ll hurt them in the process.”

She took off her gloves and stored them in her apron pocket before reaching out to stroke the same blue flower Finral had touched minutes prior. “As for their meanings, flowers are a language of their own,” Mimosa explained with a sense of calmness and serenity, drawing Finral closer to every word she spoke. “Some types can have multiple meanings, but in the end, it comes down to what it means for that person who picks them.”

There was a gleam in her eyes as she continued. “I know you think getting flowers for someone you were never close with might not be ideal, but it’s about doing what you feel is right. It’s why people get flowers for someone in the first place, and besides-”

To Finral’s surprise, she suddenly plucked the flower from its stem and handed it to him. Wordlessly, he held out his hand and the flower fell gracefully in his palm.

Mimosa looked up at him and grinned. “It’s just a plant, so what’s the harm in it?”

Staring at the flower, blue petals lay vibrantly against his palm. It resembled him holding the ocean, but it mostly reminded him of a certain child’s eyes from the past. Pale blue eyes so innocent and wide, gazing up at Finral like he was the most important person in their world.

The connection to the memory made him smile, and the ache in his chest disappeared. “Thanks Mimosa,” Finral murmured as he admired the flower in his hand.

Mimosa laughed softly before getting out her gloves again. “I’d always be happy to help you the next time you visit.” She then started walking down the aisle and motioned Finral to follow her. “Well since it’s your first time here why don’t you let me show you around!”

Finral took her offer graciously, and everything around him after that soon became a blur of fascinating colors as he let her lead the way.

\---

Standing in front of ironclad gates, Finral swallowed dryly as he clutched his newly purchased bouquet in his hand tighter. With the help from Mimosa, he was able to leave the florist shop early and arrived at the graveyard 30 minutes earlier than instructed. The van he had borrowed from Yami rested by the curb and he was already itching to go back inside.

The pictures he’d seen from his phone described exactly what was in front of him, but that didn’t make the sight any less harrowing. It was his first time visiting a graveyard, and the somber atmosphere it carried left him feeling queasy.

Finral carried his feet through the open gates and down the main dirt path as he searched around the area for any signs of his brother. Rows upon rows of gravestones surrounded him, and it unnerved Finral as he took in the sheer size of the place.

After a quick scan, he came to discover that he was alone. Langris was nowhere in sight, nor did Finral find anyone else trying to pay their respects. The entire place was desolate.

It’s no surprise his brother wasn’t here yet, and Finral didn’t mind waiting patiently for him to appear. Rather than wander around the field aimlessly, he headed to a building that was most likely the chapel for the graveyard built in the very center.

Old glass-stained doors were closed shut, though Finral had no intentions of trying to open them. He instead made his way around the chapel to where a lone tree was rooted behind it. Dull crusted leaves barely hanged on the branches and it hardly offered any shade, but he’d take what he could get. Standing directly under the sun at its highest peak during this time of day was brutal.

When Finral rushed around the corner of the chapel he nearly had a heart attack. In a panic, he retraced a step back and glued himself against the wall before slowly poking a head out. His eyes widened at seeing someone already by the tree.

Langris stood there unmoving, his hands stuffed in his pockets and shoulders slanted. Finral could only see the side of his face from where he was hiding, but could somewhat make out his expression.

A blank stare. That’s all Finral could see on his brother’s face as vacant blue eyes stared over the horizon. He seemed content, standing under the tree where sunlight framed parts of his body past the branch leaves. If it were anyone else watching him, they’d assume Langris was at peace.

But to Finral, he also looked… lost.

Vaguely concerned, Finral would’ve spent more time observing him had he not unconsciously taken a step forward. A dead leaf crunched under his foot, and in a place where silence was the form of utmost respect, it was the most earsplitting sound he’d heard in his life.

Langris stiffened at the noise and abruptly turned in Finral’s direction before realizing who it was and relaxed. Frowning, he checked the time on his wristwatch. “You’re early,” he pointed out, his flat tone indicating he was none too pleased with his presence.

Finral had hoped that arriving 30 minutes earlier meant Langris wouldn’t have to wait around for him, but of course nothing ever worked in his favor. Feeling guilty, he abandoned his hiding spot and walked up to meet him.

“Sorry for making you wait,” he apologized, but then smiled. “How have you been?” Seeing Langris with his own eyes again Finral couldn’t help himself with asking. It had only been a week since they last saw each other, but he missed his brother dearly.

“Fine.” Langris’s response was curt.

“I hope you haven’t been overworking yourself… What have you been doing aside from school? Do you still practice the violin? I know how much you enjoyed playing music after studying for too long.” Finral kept going, unbeknownst to his brother’s growing irritation at the bombardment of questions.

The frown deepened. “I didn’t bring you here for idle chitchat, Nii-san. I’m only doing this because I wanted to show you something,” Langris cut to the chase as he completely ignored Finral’s attempts at light conversation. His eyes flickered to the flowers Finral held by his side, and the frown lessened slightly.

Squaring his shoulders, Langris moved past him and headed towards the main path. “Now follow me,” he added, “And please do me a favor of keeping your mouth shut until we reach our destination.”

Finral winced but didn’t protest as he trailed close behind him. Langris really didn’t hold back his punches, though that wasn’t shocking to anyone. It wasn’t like an emotional conversation that made Finral sob like a baby and a one-sided hug from last time would just magically fix everything between them.

Along the way, he kept his focus on his brother’s back. There was no need to take a look at the passing gravestones to know the people here had been buried decades ago. Chippings and erosion in the rocks were a telltale sign of its age and the one he was about to visit was likely one of the newest additions to the site.

Langris deviated from the dirt path, and Finral followed silently. The grass under his shoes sank a little with each step, and he wondered if it had rained here recently. When Langris suddenly halted, Finral looked up and the first thing he noticed were the carved words of a name he didn’t think he’d ever see again.

_Ledior Vaude  
19xx-20xx_

Just as he predicted, the gravestone was larger compared to the surrounding others. For a rich man who stood with pride on top of a pyramid in a competitive business world, it was only natural for him to own a stone of this size. The height of the rock came up to Finral’s waist as he stood before it.

Also etched in the granite surface was a quote Ledior lived by that Finral didn’t bother reading since he’d already heard it hundreds of times as a kid. Mounted beside the gravestone was a bronze vase for flowers, and currently it was empty.

Remembering what he had in his hands, Finral kneeled down to place the bouquet neatly in the vase, all while feeling his brother’s eyes bore holes in the back of his head. After arranging it to his liking, he stood up and examined the display, satisfied with how the flowers brought a splash of color against the muted stone.

“Purple hyacinths and blue hydrangeas?” Langris asked, clearly confused at his choice of flowers.

Mimosa had played a huge part in picking these for him, and while Finral did choose them based on how he felt about his father, he mostly got them because the colors reminded him of himself and Langris. Like what Mimosa told him earlier, they’re only plants. Finral just wanted to make the gravestone as colorful as he could.

Though that was the least of his interests at the moment. Finral turned to his brother, puzzled. “How did you know what kind they were?”

Surprised at being called out, Langris opened his mouth to retort but stopped. Instead of trying to argue he coughed in his fist and turned away embarrassed. “A friend of mine taught me,” he grumbled.

Hearing that made Finral smile. He was glad his brother had friends he could talk to and learn from since people from school usually classified them as outsiders because of their family status. Finral hoped he could meet this friend of his someday.

“You know,” Langris stated seriously, shifting the subject away from him. “If this never happened,” he glanced back to the rock, “You wouldn’t be standing next to me.”

Staying silent, Finral bit his lip. It hurt to admit it but he wasn’t wrong. If that night when Langris broke the news to him over the phone never happened, he and Finral wouldn’t be where they are right now. They wouldn’t be standing with their shoulders almost touching as they gazed down at the gravestone belonging to someone Finral wasn’t sure he even loved.

As disheartening as the reason was, Ledior’s death opened Finral’s mind to the realization that the three years they had spent living separate lives apart from one another would’ve stretched on to four years… to five… and maybe for the rest of their lives.

Their father departing from this world was a tragedy. Not just for his family, but also his company and the connections he had with others. It was a truth Finral would never deny, but in a significant way, it brought them together. It gave Finral the push to act on his own desires and reach out to retie the strings he had wanted to mend for years.

“He was always harsh with us, wasn’t he,” Finral found himself saying out loud.

Langris rolled his eyes. “Understatement of the year,” he muttered under his breath.

Finral tried not to chuckle in amusement. It was nice to know they could both agree on something about their father.

“True, but sometimes I wish I could’ve had at least one more conversation with him,” Finral admitted with a solemn smile. “I wish things could’ve gone better with him in general but I know thinking like that isn’t going to do anything for me.”

If he was able to start anew with Langris, would he have been able to do the same with his father if he were still alive? Finral may never find out as that answer was lost forever.

“I think he would’ve wanted the same,” Langris surprisingly agreed, not at all finding Finral’s wish obscure. “He talked about you sometimes.”

“He did?”

Langris nodded. “Yes, but only to me. He never brought your name up when he was around mom and I’m sure you know why. I think he missed you because a few days after you left, he told me he had regretted what he said to you.”

“Really?” Finral tried finding the right words. He could remember when Ledior had explicitly told him to never show his face around the house for ruining the family’s name, so to think he admitted something like that was mind-boggling. “I’m surprised he said that. Did he want me to come back home?”

“He said you were old enough to make your own decisions.” Langris then paused for a second. “Do you hate him?” he asked with no judgement.

“D-Do I hate him?” The direct question bemused Finral to no end.

“Just answer the question,” Langris snapped as he gave no further explanation.

Finral carefully considered his answer. Honestly, he _should_ have every right to hate Ledior for what he’d done. Just like how Langris couldn’t forgive Finral for leaving, he could never forgive his father for the emotional stress and pain he inflicted on him. Mental scars ran deep all over his body for Finral to forget about the things he had done.

But did he truly hate him?

“No… I don’t think so,” he finally answered. He didn’t think he could even if he tried. Despite the agony he experienced as a child, Finral understood Ledior’s reasons for treating him and Langris so harshly.

When you worked so hard to achieve your dreams, it’s understandable that you don’t want your accomplishments to go to waste after you die. Finral could acknowledge his father’s teachings, even if it was wrong. _Besides…_

A light breeze rustled the flowers, and some petals fell in the grass.

_There was no point hating someone who was gone._

“I just hated the things he did and the things he said to me.” Finral gave a dejected laugh and scratched his cheek. “I know it’s a pretty lame answer since I’m sure he hated me for abandoning his dreams.”

At that last statement, Langris scrunched his nose briefly and turned to stare at Finral with an intensity that had him freezing in place. “Do you really believe that?” he asked.

“Well, uh-” Finral wasn’t sure how to give a proper response when his brother looked so serious about it. “He was never satisfied with anything I did no matter how hard I worked for his approval. And he was so livid with me when I left so I can’t see a reason why he wouldn’t.”

Finral clenched his fists, feeling ashamed. “I wouldn’t doubt it if he hated me until his dying breath.”

Langris remained silent, his eyes flicking back and forth between Finral and the gravestone in contemplation, then let out a sigh. He dug into his pocket and pulled out something shiny. Without a word, Langris grabbed Finral’s hand and deposited the item in his palm, curling Finral’s fingers over it before releasing his hand.

The action left Finral completely baffled. “What are-”

“Will you just open it already,” Langris ordered impatiently.

Finral didn’t object, knowing that the longer he kept him waiting the more likely Langris would forcefully make him open it.

Uncurling his fingers, Finral’s mouth hanged open in shock as he was met with a pristine gold pendant with an elegant letter _“F”_ engraved on the front. The piece of jewelry sat heavy in his hand. Surely this must’ve costed more than everything he ever owned all together and suddenly he felt nervous holding it.

Seeing his brother’s foot tap in his peripherals, Finral didn’t wait another second. Using his thumbs, he pried open the pendant with care, making sure not to break it by accident. He had to suppress the gasp escaping his throat once it opened because this was something he’d never expected to see.

Inside the pendant contained an aged photo, the colors faded out and frayed around the edges. In the picture was a woman smiling Finral didn’t recognize sitting in a chair in front of a garden, and cradled in her arms was an infant appearing to be asleep.

Finral was stumped. Who were these people?

As a list of guesses came to mind, he noticed in the bottom left corner of the photo a date written cursively in ink. Instantly recognizing the numbers, disbelief consumed him as Finral’s eyes widened.

That’s the date of his birth.

“While I was cleaning out the study room last week, I found a storage box hidden in the bookshelf containing this pendant,” Langris calmly broke the silence. “I presume father always wore it before something happened and he remarried.”

Speechless. That’s honestly what Finral felt in that moment. Seeing a photo of the woman he had always wanted to know more about as a kid but was shot down every time for asking was indescribable. He could hardly comprehend the reality of it, and a part of him wished this was some kind of cruel game played on him so he could have a reason to hate his father.

Finral closed his fingers over the pendant tightly and brought his fist to his chest, holding it there as he curled forward and squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t cry. No, those tears wishing for his father’s affection had shed away a long time ago, but that didn’t mean his heart couldn’t.

Because seeing _this,_ a pendant with a photo of him inside, gave Finral the possibility that somewhere deep within Ledior’s heart he had actually cared about him.

“I’m not a mind reader, so I can’t say for certain what father thought of you before he passed away,” Langris continued after giving Finral the chance to process everything. “But if he really hated you, I don’t think he would have kept something like that all those years.”

Finral opened his hand to stare at the photo again. There was one burning question he had. One question overriding everything else, and if he didn’t ask right now, then he’d never be able to find the answer himself.

“Why did you give this to me?” he choked out over the lump in his throat. “Why did you take me out here and do all of this?” Finral knew Langris didn’t hate him, he as much said it straight to his face a week ago, but his brother shouldn’t have to do this for him.

Langris paused at the question, appearing conflicted over something Finral couldn’t decipher. He shrugged his shoulders and turned away from him to stare at nothing in particular, and just when Finral thought he wasn’t going to give an answer, he spoke softly.

“I felt you deserved to know… that’s all.”

Finral fell silent as another breeze brushed the flowers and scattered the loose petals. Tilting his head up to face the sky, he watched as white puffy clouds drifted across the never-ending plains of cerulean and giving way to the sun bearing down on them.

Standing before his father three years later, for the first time in his life, Finral didn’t feel like he had to prove his worth to anyone. He didn’t feel the shame of never having done enough, nor did he feel like he was falling behind at everything.

Instead, he felt nothing.

“I’m glad you told me. Thank you,” he said, relishing every bit of this weightless freedom inside his heart. _Thank you for giving me the closure I never thought I needed._

Hearing Langris click his tongue, Finral looked down to see him crossing his arms. “Don’t twist my words though, I was just doing my part. How you feel doesn’t mean anything to me,” Langris replied defensively while glaring at him. He then glanced at his wristwatch and a small frown formed. “And since I’m finished, I should leave now. Are you planning to stand there all day or what?”

Finral’s attention gravitated towards the gravestone as he thought over it. After finding out what could possibly be the truth, those invisible chains wrapped around his neck pulling him into a black hole of obligation and responsibility was no longer there. He could finally crawl out of that hole 22 years later.

It’s as what Ledior told his brother, Finral was old enough to make his own decisions.

And so, he did.

Bending down, Finral placed the pendant next to the flowers in the grass. “There’s no need for me to stay here anymore,” he answered as he straightened up. _There’s no need to come back at all._ “Now let’s get out of here because this heat is killing me.”

Langris stared at him with a mixture of shock and bewilderment. “You’re not going to keep it?” he asked incredulously.

“I don’t need to. It was never mine to begin with,” Finral responded with a smile. The story behind the photo inside the pendant ended the moment Ledior died. It wasn’t Finral’s right to continue it. “You can take it back if you want, but you’d probably have to hide it from mom,” he joked lightly.

Langris pursed his lips and said nothing to that, merely huffing in annoyance before walking away. When Finral hurriedly turned on his heels to catch up with him, he didn’t need to look back once as he left the memories of tears, regret, and sorrow behind him.

\---

Right outside the front gate, the two stood next to each other again, an awkward silence filling the air as both of them were unsure on how to properly part ways. Finral would’ve loved to give him a hug but based on how overwhelming it was for Langris last time he figured his brother wouldn’t appreciate another one.

“Do you need a ride home?” he kindly offered instead, pointing to the van that thankfully wasn’t stolen after just noticing he had left the windows rolled down. Yami definitely wouldn’t have let Finral borrow his van again if he saw that.

Langris followed his line of direction and disgust washed over his face as he saw the run-down vehicle. “No thanks,” he declined tersely, “I’d rather take the train home.” Cutting off the conversation there, Langris tried to head out when Finral grabbed his wrist anxiously.

“Wait!” he called.

“What do you want now?” Langris gritted out, “You’re really testing my patience.” The threat was still there of course, although unlike last time, he made no move to tear his arm away.

“I’ll still see you around, right?” Finral shouldn’t have to ask since they literally went over this last week. He’s aware Langris was making an effort to give it another chance yet Finral couldn’t erase the doubt that kept creeping up on him.

“That’s up to you, you’re the one who started this whole mess,” Langris said in such a casual and monotonous way. Eyes shifting down to the hold on his wrist, he hesitated. “But… I can try to make time during the weekends. It just depends on my schedule.”

Finral almost cried right then and there from joy. “That’s great! Then why not come visit me sometime? You know where I live since you sent me that letter so you’re always welcome to come by!” he babbled on as his excitement was getting the best of him.

“I’ll have to see, but don’t forget what I said last time,” Langris warned, “I’m the one deciding everything so don’t get your hopes up.” The answer wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either. Regardless, it was good enough for Finral to relax.

Letting go, Finral gave his brother some space by stepping back. “I really enjoyed spending time with you today despite what it was for,” he expressed with a broad smile, meaning every single word. “Please be safe on your way back!”

Finral didn’t expect Langris to say anything else. He honestly assumed his brother would give another eye roll or a scoff at the endearing goodbye and leave it at that. But to his amazement, he got something remarkable.

“Yeah… you too,” Langris trailed off, the words sounding foreign even to himself as his lips twisted into a bitter frown. Though before Finral could react, he went off in a hurry, heading to the train station in quick strides until he was out of sight.

Now alone, Finral nearly skipped his way to the van so he could drive back home. It was just a simple goodbye, really. Langris seemed like he regretted saying it the second it came out of his mouth before virtually running away, yet Finral couldn’t stop this giddy feeling from arising.

Those three soft-spoken words continuously replayed over in his head and it likely wouldn’t cease anytime soon, but that was okay. It didn’t bother him at all.

Because to Finral it was a breathtaking reminder that little by little, he was finally getting back his younger brother he had always loved and cherished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deny it all you want Langris but we know you care deep down. <3 P.s I really love plant girl.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
